The opening night crowd at the Regal Theatre gave a standing ovation after an exhilarating performance of Once, the musical.
What makes this show so special is that every member of the cast is remarkably versatile. Not only do they sing, dance and act at a high level, but they all play at least one musical instrument.
Most musicals have an accompanying band. With Once, the performers are the band. The whole show has the rollicking feeling of an Irish pub, where anyone is likely to jump up and perform.
OnceĀ is a modern-day urban love story of a disheartened Irish musician (Toby Francis) and a piano-playing Czech immigrant (Stefanie Caccamo).
The show was originally produced on Broadway in 2011 and became an international smash hit, winning a swag of awards, including eight Tony awards (for excellence in Broadway theatre) and an Oscar for the song Falling Slowly.
This latest version, a joint production between Sydney’s Darlinghurst Theatre Company and the Black Swan State Theatre Company of WA, is directed by Richard Carroll. It will run until Saturday, June 12.
Photographs: Daniel J. Grant