‘Once’ musical to woo SLO theater lovers

In one of the most moving scenes in the indie film “Once,” an Irish street busker and a Czech immigrant sit down to perform a bittersweet love song on piano and guitar.

As they plink, pluck and harmonize their way through “Falling Slowly,” we catch them exchanging quick glances. It’s clear to the viewer that these two strangers share a special connection.

“Falling Slowly,” performed by Glen Hansard and Markéta Iglová in the movie, won the Academy Award for best original song. And it remains at the heart of the Broadway musical based on the 2007 movie.

“It really bookends their relationship in the show,” said Mackenzie Lesser-Roy, who plays one half of the central couple in the touring stage production of “Once.” It stops Oct. 30 at the Performing Arts Center in San Luis Obispo.

Like the movie directed by John Carney, “Once” the musical follows a pair of unnamed musicians — known only as Girl and Guy — who bond over their shared love of understated, emotionally resonant folk rock. The action unfolds in a Dublin bar.

When he’s not working at the vacuum repair shop run by his dad (Bristol Pomeroy), brooding Guy (Sam Cieri) moonlights as a musician on the streets of Dublin.

Heartbroken over a breakup, Guy is on the verge of giving up music for good when he meets quirky Czech immigrant Girl (Lesser-Roy), a classically trained pianist with a busted vacuum cleaner.

Girl encourages Guy to keep playing, signing him up for open mic night and organizing a marathon recording session. She even helps him secure a loan from a bank manager (Jenn Chandler) to finance a move to New York City, where his former girlfriend (Nyssa Duchow) now lives.

But as Guy and Girl spend more time together, they gradually realize they may not want to part.

Like the film version of “Once,” the musical features music and lyrics by Hansard and Iglová. (Songs include “If You Want Me,” “When Your Mind’s Made Up” and, of course, “Falling Slowly.”) Irish playwright Enda Walsh wrote the book.

“Once” premiered at the New York Theatre Workshop in 2011 before opening on Broadway in 2012. The musical won eight Tony Awards including best musical, plus a Drama Desk Award for outstanding musical and a Grammy Award for best musical theater album.

Lesser-Roy saw “Once” twice on Broadway before she auditioned for the touring production.

“I fell in love with it so much,” the Westchester County, New York, native recalled. “It immediately become a dream role of mine because as a musician I wanted to use an instrument in my acting.” (All of the cast members play musical instruments onstage.)

Yet when Lesser-Roy was cast as Girl, she accepted the role with some trepidation. Taking the part meant putting her musical theater studies at The Boston Conservatory at Berklee on hold.

“I didn’t expect my career to start this early. I had to jump into adulthood right away,” she said.

Lesser-Roy described Girl as a music-loving single mom who makes the most of life, and encourages others to do the same.

“She is a mother in every sense,” the actress said of the character. “She works hard to take care of people. She will always take care of someone else’s problems and make sure other people are happy before she takes care of herself. I really admire that quality.”

In the time she’s played Girl, Lesser Roy said, “She’s grown up a lot.”

“I’ve been through more things in my life, (become) more aware, more knowledgeable,” explained the 20-year-old, who was 19 when she initially took the role. ‘It’s made her more experienced (as well).”

Asked how the musical “Once” compares to the movie that inspired it, Lesser-Roy said the stage version preserves the intimacy of the original film while adding a few “magical theatrical moments” and expanding some of the smaller roles into full-fledged parts.

“In the show (the characters) all have back stories,” she explained. “Everyone has a meaning and a purpose, and they all have a journey throughout the show.”

Ultimately, Lesser-Roy said, “Once” is “all about love. It’s about the love of music. It’s about the love of the people around you. It’s about the love of your partner.”

“This show has the power to change you,” she said. “It will leave you inspired.”

This story was originally published October 21, 2016 at 11:26 AM with the headline "‘Once’ musical to woo SLO theater lovers."