The Conifer theatre sticks the landing with the charmingly complex musical
It’s not that often that I see or review the same show twice, but after being wowed by the Miners Alley Playhouse production of the musical Once a few years back, I was keen to see it again up in Conifer at StageDoor Theatre.
It did not disappoint.
Director Tanner Kelly assembled a simply extraordinary cast of local talent to meet the challenging roles inherent in the show. Everyone on stage plays an instrument and sings, and there’s not a weak link in the bunch. What I love about this show is how the music itself is so woven into the action, but it’s impossible to do without an ensemble overflowing with talent. This StageDoor production has this in spades for Once.
The story centers around a talented but unsuccessful Irish singer-songwriter named, simply, “Guy” (Gunnar Bettis). At the top of the show, he sings “Leave,” and then does just that: leaving his guitar on the street and starting to walk away. But “Girl” (Olivia Kisicki) has heard him play, loves his song and implores him to give it another shot.
So begins a master class by Girl in how to poke, prod, cajole, encourage and scold an artist into realizing their true potential. Oh, and of course there’s a love story that unfolds between Guy and Girl, but it doesn’t necessarily end up in the same place as, say, one of those Hallmark movies.
It’s more complicated than that — way more complicated. While Guy lives with his widowed father above the family vacuum-repair shop, Girl shares a Dublin flat with three roommates from her native Czech Republic. This location plus Guy’s flat and the main setpiece — a neighborhood pub — are all well delineated in the busy, functional set designed by Dean Arniotes and Biz Schaugaard. With 13 people on stage, there’s a lot of traffic management that Kelly handles well.
At the center of the action, Bettis and Kisicki are tremendous. Both hugely talented singers and instrumentalists (he on guitar, she on piano), they’ve inhabited their roles to a T and enjoy clear chemistry in telling the story of their characters’ almost romance. With the help of dialect coach Miranda Guettlein, their Irish and Czech accents are believable — as are those of the rest of the cast.
With its stadium-style seating, StageDoor’s space allows for a real up-close experience watching the story unfold. One of the magical elements of Once is how many of the musical numbers start out slow and with only one instrument, then build as the rest of the cast starts to chime in with guitars, mandolins, drums, two violins, a cello, piano, accordion and more. It’s really fun to watch.
This is one of those shows that everyone should get out and see — it’s hard to imagine anyone not enjoying it. StageDoor’s production is first-rate, and a great example of a community theatre pulling out the stops to make something special.
It’s only got three performances left, though, so get to it this weekend if you can!
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