ONCE Reviews — Page 3

New York Post is very positive:

http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/theater/it_dublin_your_pleasure_vL439sUtKFZeIHiGkjTNsM

I'll admit I haven't really paid any attention to this one and didn't expect it to be the hit it looks like it will turn out to be. I say more power to it, it's been so long since any of the "artsy" shows have done as well as they deserved to.

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My fear is that like the movie it'll find its audience after its "needed".

Good musical adaptations of films are hard to come by these days.

It doesn't hurt that the story lends for the musical numbers to happen. Better than stuffing an 80's/90's blockbuster with music numbers that come out of nowhere.

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"I just have to say, Brantley ALWAYS does an about face........

Is he really that bad of a critic?"

Yes.

I disliked the movie. I am willing to give the musical a chance, but I read on here that Girl has turned into a Manic Pixie Dreamgirl-type character. Is that still true?

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"The only memorable song was the one from the movie."

Which one? Leave? Falling Slowly? If You Want Me? Broken Hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy? Say It to Me Now? Gold? When Your Mind's Made Up?

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I am so happy for this show and it's cast. I can't think of a show on Broadway right now that deserves it more. I hopoe it finds an audience. Quality does not always equal longevity.

I have tickets to see this next Saturday, but I am listening to the cast recording and find myself kind of bored. Glad to see anything succeed in this tough season, but don't know that this music is my cup of tea. Details after seeing the production -

SporkGoddess, she's a Manic Pixie Dream Girl in the sense that this is obviously Guy's story and she really has no development or agency of her own. They briefly mention her having a child/husband, but that's not elaborated upon nearly as much as Guy's girlfriend. She's not a Manic Pixie Dream Girl in the sense that she's not unbearably annoying.

Yeah, I knew that. But it's the lack of agency part that worries me, not the annoying personality.

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I think that that's a terribly shallow view of the story and character (I'll soften this by saying, "In my opinion"). Perhaps if we weren't given background and insight into both their characters, that might be true. But I think much of the story is told WITHIN the music and the choreography-which tell stories of these characters (all of them) during very painful moments in their lives. I think much more of this comes out in the second act.

This musical isn't a 'show stopper' with fankicks and big numbers. If you're going to see it, I think that ought to be kept in mind. Simply put, it's a play/musical about art, music, and love. It's a simple story that's been told many times before, but I think what makes this special is Marketa and Glen's music, the choreography/direction, and the beautiful ensemble of "Nobodies" (as Steve Kazee referred to them last night in his curtain speech).

*reply to SPOILERS*
She has more than one interaction with her daughter. Ivanka is also (briefly) present in "If You Want Me" and "Sleeping," which was such a touching moment to me for them. I think the show is far more balanced than you give it credit for between telling Guy's story and Girl's story. Guy has far more songs, yes, but he also only has two characters from his background that he interacts with, while the Girl introduces pretty much everyone else in the ensemble into the story. One instance of this is, in the film the Guy takes her to a gathering of local musician friends of his, where they play "Gold," whereas in the show she takes him to an open mic with her flatmates, and signs him up for a spot. Yes, she still exists mostly to prod him along on his journey, but she also has a rich set of inner conflicts and mixed feelings within that purpose. To say they don't explore her character along the way is to miss a lot of the work Cristin has done, especially during "The Hill" (a song I rarely listened to on the soundtrack but was one of the most powerful performances, IMHO, in the show.)

My $.02 is all.

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