Paramount Theatre's 'Once' wows with talented cast, unconventional romance
“Once” - ★ ★ ★ ½
“Once” is about the power of music to inspire and heal lovelorn souls. This compelling message is tenderly and thunderously transmitted in Paramount Theatre's Broadway-caliber production in Aurora.
As in the original 2007 Oscar-winning Irish film that inspired the 2012 Broadway incarnation, “Once” follows the whirlwind romance between a disillusioned Dublin street busker (Barry DeBois) and an insistent Czech pianist (Tiffany Topol) who is obsessed with his music. It's a tad precious that they are generically named “Guy” and “Girl,” but playwright Enda Walsh's adaptation of John Carney's screenplay is a unique European Union tale of immigration and cross-cultural collaboration.
Both Guy and Girl start romantically blindsided. Guy's ex-girlfriend (Jenn Chandler) left him to emigrate to New York, while the father of Girl's young daughter, Ivonka (Everleigh Murphy), has returned to the Czech Republic.
The despairing Guy, a part-time vacuum repairman, initially abandons his guitar after roaring through the song “Leave” - only to have Girl swoop in for the rescue. Armed with a broken Hoover and insistent encouragement, she prods and helps Guy to record an album of his songs.
Guy and Girl's mad-rush romance revolves around music, which is vividly reflected in original director John Tiffany's staging concept: The entire cast doubles as the onstage band. Paramount artistic director Jim Corti sticks with Tiffany's template by assembling an amazing ensemble of locals and veterans from past “Once” touring companies to thrash through Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová's haunting and propulsive songs.
These aren't typical musical theater numbers to advance the plot, which may initially throw longtime theatergoers used to the storytelling craft of golden-age Broadway (better diction and a sharper sound design would also help). But the romance is swift and sweeping, so audiences quiet down and hang on every word.
Corti also keeps Tiffany's conceit to stage the show mostly within an Irish pub. Yet, those who previously caught “Once” in Chicago on tour might wish that Corti and designers Jeffrey D. Kmiec (sets) and Nick Belley (lighting) had tried a different staging concept to reflect the musical's multiple locations. They range from a music instrument shop managed by Billy (a wonderfully eccentric Jon Patrick Penick), to the Girl's crammed apartment (filled with Czech family and friends endearingly played by Jeanne T. Arrigo, Cassidy Stirtz, Nik Kmiecik and Grant Alan Watkins).
But why tamper with a formula that helped “Once” win eight Tony Awards? A pub is a globally recognized hub for Irish music, so Paramount's handsome and familiar framework feels just right. (Note: Arrive early if you want to be a part of the fun for a foot-stomping preshow jam session.)
Throughout, the cast displays top-notch music-making and acting (in Irish and Czech dialects no less). But the emotional nexus is with DeBois' incredulous Guy and Topol's unwaveringly supportive Girl.
These two stars achingly convey Guy and Girl's past romantic longing and sudden surge of attraction. Most importantly, they burst with the joy and happiness that emerge when they make music together. Topol and DeBois' amazing musical and acting skills not only impress, but also touch the heart.
No doubt some enterprising Chicago storefront theater company will attempt to stage an environmental and intimate production of “Once” in an actual Irish bar one day. But until then, you can relish the polished professionalism of Paramount's “Once” on a truly grand scale.
Location: Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora, (630) 896-6666 or paramountaurora.com
Showtimes: 1:30 and 7 p.m. Wednesday, 7 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 1 and 5:30 p.m. Sunday; through June 3
Running time: About 2 hours 20 minutes, with intermission
Tickets: $36-$64
Parking: Nearby pay garages and area street parking
Rating: Contains some harsh language, discussions around sex