Berkshire on Stage

Musicals about musicians are almost as common as plays about thespians, and they tend to offer the same opportunities and be prone to the same pitfalls. They can be playfully and thoughtfully metatheatrical when done well; when done poorly they can be so tediously self- referential that you never want to see another play or hear another musical note again. Once, currently on stage at Capital Repertory Theatre, is indeed a musical about musicians, but it’s hardly tedious. Honestly, it isn’t particularly self-referential or metatheatrical either, but it is very much a musical about music and about how a passion for the arts is essential to living life to the fullest. Even if the plot of Once isn’t the most exciting or extraordinary, the music is excellently composed by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová; and it is spectacularly performed by a talented cast of musicians in a lively and aesthetically riveting production.

Since the title of the show gives little helpful information, I should explain that Once tells a simple and heartfelt story about a Dubliner and a Czech emigrant, both unlucky in love, who bond over their shared passion for music. Over the course of the play, the Czech woman reignites the Irishman’s waning passion for music and love, and the music they create and perform on stage is electric.

Anyone who read my recent review of Oklahoma! will already know I don’t care much for a love story, but my main problem with most love stories is the sentimentality. I don’t have a distaste for the concept of love; in fact I’m quite fond of the notion when it isn’t too saccharine. It was not without trepidation that I went to see Once, but as I took my seat, the pre-show had already begun with most of the cast onstage playing an array of upbeat and funny Irish-folk inspired songs. (I wish I had arrived earlier to enjoy all of the pre-show music!) This made me hopeful that perhaps Once would be more of a bittersweet and slightly sarcastic love story that feels real, raw, and slightly irreverent. I am pleased to say that that is exactly what Once is.

In Once, unlike in most musicals, the plot seems to serve the music, rather than the music serving the plot. All the actors double as musicians and when they play, they do so on stage rather than in an orchestra pit or behind the scenes. This makes the stage a chaotic whirlwind at times, but under the expert direction of Maggie Mancinelli-Cahill, the chaos is controlled and visually pleasing. The stage’s backdrop is similarly chaotic in a controlled and aesthetic way, and the combination puts one in mind of the busy downtown streets and cramped urban apartments in which most of the play takes place. With this staging, Once is a beautiful moving snapshot of downtown Dublin in the early aughts and some of its more downtrodden but musically passionate residents. This, I think, makes it one of the more real and heartfelt stories I have seen played out on stage.

Because the actors all double as musicians, this play requires that each of its actors also plays an instrument. Capital Rep deserves kudos for putting together such a multi-talented cast, as there is no weak link among them and every single musician is individually talented and plays excellently with the ensemble. However, the obvious stand-out in this show is Lily Talevski, who plays the brassy Czech spitfire (simply and disappointingly named “Girl”). Talevski is fiery, eccentric, tender, soulful, and has a commanding stage presence that will make the audience love her just as much as her on-stage sweetheart (also disappointingly named “Guy.”) I must also sing the praises of Adam Huel Potter, who offers the audience plenty of laughs in the comic relief role of Billy.

So whether you see Once for the unforgettable music, for Talevski’s breathtaking lead performance, or simply to be swept away into a different time and place where live music is more popular and cell phones less ubiquitous, Once will provide exactly what you need.

Capital Repertory Theatre presents Once by Enda Walsh with music and lyrics by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, directed by Maggie Mancinelli-Cahill, runs from July 11 – Aug 10, 2025, at the REP, 251 North Pearl St., Albany, NY 12207. Cast: Sam Sherwood as Guy, Lily Talevski as Girl, Adam Huel Potter as Billy, Don Noble as Da, Julia Hoffmann as Ex-Girlfriend, John Sygar as Andrej, Molly Coyne as Reza, Trevor Lindley Craft as Svec, Emily Mikesell as Baruska, Sophia Sarbib or Isla Weinman as Ivonka, Jenn Chandler as Bank Manager, Jacob Shipley as Emcee, and Dan Costello as Eamon. Production Manager/Electrics Manager: Brandon Curry. Technical Coordinator: Stephen Pelletier. Assistant Production Manager/Audio Engineer/Projection Engineer: Luke Krauss. Properties by Vanessa VanZandt. Costumes by Andrea Adamczyk and Carolyn King.

Performance dates are Tuesday–Sunday (July 11 – August 10). Tuesday – Thursday evening performances are at 7:30pm, with additional Wednesday matinees at 2pm; Friday and Saturday evening performances are at 8pm, with Saturday matinees at 3pm; and Sunday performances are matinees only at 2pm. Tickets range from $45.50 to $95.50. Runs approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes with no intermission. Contains strong language and brief sexual conversations. Recommended for ages 13+. Tickets are available at the door, by phone at (518) 346-6204, or online at https://capitalrep.org/.