“Once,” the award-winning musical based on the 2007 film, is a stunning slice of life. Two strangers living in Dublin, Ireland, meet and, within days, their friendship is life changing. The minimalist storyline centers on their intense attraction and the hopeless circumstances they face, which they redirect into writing hypnotically tuneful songs.
Most everything about Berkeley Playhouse’s quality production is impressive, from the 13 cast members to the band of musician-actors, the Irish pub set design and the striking lighting. With impressive singing and harmonies, and much of the Broadway staging preserved, it is difficult to believe this is community theater.
“Once,” with music and lyrics by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, shows at the Berkeley Playhouse through March 29.
Raul Gallyot is an Inverness resident and a member of the San Francisco Bay Area Theater Critics Circle and whose theater reviews may be heard on KWMR Radio’s “Airwaves.”