March 2016 - Let Us Entertains You: Once

The 2012 Tony Award winning musical, Once, makes a stop at Popejoy Hall. Once tells the enchanting tale of a Dublin street musician who’s about to give up on his dream when a beautiful young woman takes a sudden interest in his haunting love songs. As the chemistry between them grows, his music soars to powerful new heights... but their unlikely connection turns out to be deeper and more complex than your everyday romance. Emotionally captivating and theatrically breathtaking, Once draws you in from the very first note and never lets go. It’s an unforgettable story about going for your dreams and the power of music to connect us all*.

Sam Cieri, who plays Guy, shared how this haunting musical parallels his life and the character he plays. “I find a lot of myself in Guy. Right before doing this show, a year and a half ago, I gave up on music, very similar to the character, and I definitely had the moment like in the show where he walks away from it all. And [like Guy], I found my way back to music.”

Mackenzie Lesser-Roy, who plays Girl, the influential muse in Guy’s life, talks about the musical from her character’s point-of-view. “From Girl’s perspective, Once is really about the journey of turning this man who doesn‘t believe in his music at all…into someone who is much more confident and someone who can share his music with the world. I think a lot of my character is in me. I think her passion and her love for people around her is definitely in me.”

Artistic Director Shaun Peknic feels that it’s the overall presentation of the band and performers that makes this musical such a unique experience. “Martin Lowe (Musical Supervisor and Orchestrator) took those songs and turned them into incredible arrangements and orchestrations for 12 band members. So when you hear a song that was originally played by just Girl at a piano and all of a sudden you have cellos and violins and guitars and all these things supporting that music, it turns into something that’s transcendent on stage. The company is a band. They have to live and breathe as a band.”

Once will play at Popejoy Hall in Albuquerque for a limited engagement from March 8-13, 2016. Tickets are available at http://popejoypresents.com.