Review: 'ONCE' by the Warner Stage Company

Pictured: The cast of 'ONCE'

A show like this only comes around ‘ONCE’

Torrington, CT - The magnificent Warner Theatre in Torrington was one of only three community theatre groups in the country to be selected to be granted production rights for ‘ONCE,’ and they have the honor of the being to first to stage this unique and challenging musical. The process was made even more of a challenge when they were notified that there were restrictions on the production on what they could and could not do. “Basically,” writes director Sharon A. Wilcox in her program notes, “we were not allowed to use any element from the original Broadway or touring productions including the bar setting, costumes, choreography, etc. If it wasn’t mentioned in the script, we were not allowed to recreate any of it.”

I saw the tour of ‘ONCE’ at Waterbury’s Palace Theatre, coincidentally the same performance that Ms. Wilcox attended, so I knew that these restrictions would have far reaching ramifications. The bar setting that actually served drinks to audience members was what made the production unique. What Ms. Wilcox smartly did for the Warner production was to return to the original source material, namely the 2007 Irish musical film of the same name that was written and directed by John Carney. The Dublin street sequence where Guy is playing his guitar in front of an alley inspired her vision that came to life beautifully on the huge Warner stage.

The boy meets girl story of ‘ONCE’ is somehow both ethnically specific and universal. “You think it is going to be a love story - and it is, but it's a love story to music and the process of creating music and how music can lift you up, bring people together and forge relationships that change our lives forever,” writes the director. The relationship in this musical only lasts a week, but both the characters and the audience are truly changed because of it.

The show opens with a pre show performed by the cast members in a sort of Irish music jam session. The director sat on an onstage bench with running crew member Keith Paul to enjoy the almost fifteen minutes of rousing music. Music director Dan Ringuette joined the cast in an Irish sweater and cap and played Irish whistle, piano and melodica. The audience that clearly included many individuals of Irish heritage loved all of it and even sang along. Tom Denihan (Billy) steered the pre show numbers as loudly as his character would do, all while playing his guitar.

This show about making music does not lack in musical numbers; only a few are less than memorable, but the majority of them are both soaring and beautiful. My favorites are “Leave,” “If You Want Me,” the first act closer “Gold,” and of course the haunting duet “Falling Slowly.” Every single musical number was perfectly performed by the Warner cast members, all lovingly conducted by Mr. Ringuette visible on monitors.

The ‘ONCE’ cast member is a special breed. They must be able to act, sing, and dance AND play at least one musical instrument well. All of the community theatre actors that were chosen for the cast delivered what their roles required with dedication, under the admirable direction of Ms. Wilcox, who also designed the choreography. Set designer Stephen C. Houk served as assistant director. That set brought us to an Irish street and offered lots of levels and windows for musicians to accompany the songs, all nicely lit by LBC Lighting. Costumes by Renee C. Purdy with Aurora Montenero worked perfectly with the look of the set and, oh, that purple lucky suit that Guy wore to the bank.

Noel Roberge was the only guy I could imagine for the role of Guy. This 24 year old Bristol native played the leading role in ‘Tommy’ and Drew in ‘Rock of Ages,’ and Balladeer/Oswald in ‘Assassins,’ so I knew that he was up for the challenge. The fact that his musicianship on the guitar was just as good as his comic timing made this performance a mesmerizing one. UConn School of Music grad Kelly White (Molly in ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’) returned to the Warner stage to capture the role of Girl, a seriously drive young Czech woman who plays (but does not own a) piano. The actor writes in her bio that she fell in love with this show at the first rehearsal and it definitely shows in her performance.

KC Beauregard (who played accordion and guitar) stood out in the role of Reza; she is a Catholic University of America graduate and now a board certified music therapist. Jennifer Colella was endearing in the role of the ex-girlfriend in her Warner debut. Michelle Fenton Begley played cello, guitar and ukulele, as well as playing the bank manager. Hal Chernoff of Simsbury (guitar) made his Warner debut as Eamon, Darrell Cookman (cajon, mandolin) was quite adorable as he made his Warner debut as Da and Nate Dobas (who played banjo, banjolele, cajon, cymbals, guitar and most notably drum kit) was Girl’s flatmate Svec in his stage debut. Usually in the pit, Mr. Dobas played drums for ‘Joseph’ while in college and in this cast was Steve Kazee, the original Guy in the Broadway cast of ‘ONCE.’

Pit musician Mark Garthwait (guitar) came onstage as the Emcee at the bar and Shepaug Valley HS junior Michael O’Hazo (ukulele, electric bass, guitar) stepped up to the role of the up and coming manager Andrej. Priscilla Squires (concertina, guitar, tambourine) adopted yet another accent at the Warner to the play the mother of Girl, Baruska, and Avery Swanson (banjolele, percussion) played the young daughter of Girl, Ivonka. Mr. Denihan (guitar, ukulele, cajon) was a great match for the role of music store owner Billy; he lit up the stage in this fun role. Julie Hassler of West Hartford played cello and Sarah McNamara of the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra came onstage and played violin 1.

I very much enjoyed the touring company at the Palace Theater, but I highly recommend this stellar community theatre production because of its more theatrical qualities. The Warner production of ‘ONCE’ sets the theatrical “bar” exceedingly high for any upcoming community theatre renditions. Continuing the Irish theme, up next at the Warner Stage Company will be Frank McCourt’s ‘The Irish...and How They Got That Way’ in the Nancy Marine Studio Theatre around St. Patrick’s Day.

‘ONCE’ features a book by Enda Walsh with music and lyrics by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova and of course is based upon the motion picture of the same name written and directed by John Carney. The musical is the winner of eight 2012 Tony Awards® including best musical.

"I'm always serious. I'm Czech." - Girl in 'ONCE'

Nancy Sasso Janis has been writing theatre reviews since 2012 as a way to support local theatre venues and she posts reviews of well over 100 productions each year. In 2016, she became a member of the Connecticut Critics Circle. She continues to contribute theatre news, previews, and audition notices to local Patch sites. Reviews of all levels of theatrical productions are posted on Naugatuck Patch and the Patch sites closest to the venue. Follow the reviewer on her Facebook pages Nancy Sasso Janis: Theatre Reviewer and Connecticut Theater Previews and on Twitter @nancysjanis417