Orange Curtain Review says Once is “masterfully executed”!
“There’s a stripped-down quality to this show, not because it had to be, but because it’s essential to the story. From the simplicity of the colorful yet substantial cityscape set by designer Bradley Kaye in the background of the set that stretches from side to side of the Bette Aitken Theater, to the very grounded pub-like projections from Nick Santiago.”
“Jacqueline Malenke’s haunting lighting set the tone of the show and brought it to a professional level. A ghostly aesthetic seems so bizarre for this musical, but the images and the way they were paired with songs like “The Hill” and “If You Want Me” were out of this world. It’s subtle, but the ghostly aesthetic is woven throughout this show feels right at home in this story. It is masterfully executed through the use of space and shadow.”
“Emma Laird, who plays Girl in this production. Accent on point. She has spunk for days — nay weeks. Giving the dry but straightforward attitude of Girl in one moment and the torment that unrequited love can have on the spirit in another, her performance was like nothing I’ve seen in this musical.”
“Watching Will Huse play Billy makes you forget, for a minute, that the musical isn’t about Billy, because there’s such a great story behind his character that, honestly, could stand on its own.”
“8.7 Overall”
Read the latest review of Once from Orange Curtain Review HERE.
