ONCE IS ENOUGH.

The launch of the smash hit Tony award musical ONCE, coming to Melbourne in October, gave us Guinness, champagne, Irish music and academy award winner Glen Hansard. Coral Drouyn was there to soak up the atmosphere and the champagne (one was enough).

The story behind ONCE is as romantic, poignant and magical as the show itself. Three friends, ostensibly buskers with an indie group, make a film together on the streets of Dublin with a shoestring budget. The two leads fall in love and compose music for the film. Although expecting nothing except artistic satisfaction, they find their little film takes the world by storm and they win an Academy Award for best song “Falling Slowly” and make the “Best Movie” lists of all the major critics. The man and the girl fall out of love but stay best friends. They tour together writing more songs and suddenly find themselves involved in workshopping a Broadway musical. The Broadway musical goes on to be acclaimed as the most original show ever, and wins a staggering eight Tony Awards…which brings us, down the track, to Melbourne’s Princess Theatre.

The Irish love a spontaneous “happening” and that’s the mood that is created as we make our entrance into the theatre itself after queuing in the cramped foyer. There is something quite ethereal and joyous about Irish music, and we are greeted by three fine musicians who set the mood for the evening. We’re seated on the stage of the Princess looking out at the vast auditorium, sipping our champagne, or Guinness for the brave, and Todd McKenney is our host. He’s charming and witty, as we all knew he would be, and indeed producer John Frost matches him for the title of “master raconteur”.

The excitement for Once is palpable and genuine; but is it enough to impress the somewhat elderly group of Ticketmaster party booking representatives? Well, yes – how could it not be? The clips on the screen show us a unique and moving love story set in an Irish pub, with the cast as the orchestra and the audience drinking on stage. This is not like anything we have ever seen before. Words like “gentle”, “artistic” “haunting” are taking over from the usual Razzamatazz. Todd McKenney tells us how he brashly asked for an audition, not knowing the nature of the show, and was asked what instrument he played. He quickly replied, “I’m an expert Maracas player” (Boy From Oz) before hanging up while the receptionist was still laughing.

Everyone talks about the “triple threat” in musical theatre, but this show demands performers who are quadruple threats; actors, singers, dancers, musicians. It impresses us all when John Frost explains that on Broadway and in the West End there were parts that seemed impossible to cast, since there were so few quadruple threats to audition, and yet in Australia the amount of quadruple threats was staggeringly high, with an abundance of sensational talent to choose from.

Our hearts swell with pride. Clearly, as with so many musical home-grown productions, our production will surpass both the Broadway and West End versions, especially with original Director John Tiffany at the helm. On the big screen Tiffany talks with passion about why he loves the show even after 4 years. John Frost, consummate showman that he is, talks of how he didn’t even want to see the show, and yet was overwhelmed and knew he had to bring it to Australia once he was badgered into going to a performance. He describes it as “Inspiring and stunning and beautiful, and I’m not just trying to sell tickets.” We laugh, but there’s a ring of truth in his words. He’s clearly moved by the show. When Todd tells us that his Mum raved about the show, and “she’s a very hard marker” (must be genetic) we are convinced and already in love with this show more than six months before its opening.

And then there’s Glen Hansard – Irish busker/composer turned national treasure and superstar (pictured top). He still looks as he must have looked in the days when he busked on the streets, even though the amount of his royalties must be staggering. He’s a gentle bloke with a soft brogue and a mischievous twinkle in his eye. He tells how his friend and fellow member of “The Frames” talked him into making the movie. The plan was to burn it to DVD and sell the DVDs at their gigs – nothing more than a promotional idea. Then the Irish Film Board helped them with development (actually it was greenlit by a low level executive while the film board was without a CEO – Serendipity? Fate? Or maybe Destiny). It was a film that they couldn’t even get accepted into film festivals at first but the Dublin Film Festival picked them up, Sundance followed, and the rest is, as they say, history.

Then Glen sings to us – and, even though his microphone isn’t working, young execs; old ladies with walking sticks; production personnel; waiters from the catering firm; photographers; and myself are all transported to the streets of Dublin. How I wish he had a hat, so I could drop some money into it.

The MTC and John Frost are joining together for this venture and the cast list will not be revealed for a while (I’m guessing St Patrick’s Day.) If the show is as all it promises to be, then we truly are in for something magical.

ONCE

Songs from the original film by Glen Hansard (The Frames) and Markéta Irglová.

Adapted for the stage by Enda Walsh (Disco Pigs and Hunger) and John Tiffany.

Princess Theatre. Melbourne

Previews from September 30, 2014

ticketmaster.com.au or Call 1300 111 011

Images of the Original London Cast by Frank Ockenfels.