In Once, music is not simply part of the experience… it is the means by which the story unfolds. Rather than relying on spectacle or larger-than-life theatrics, the musical leans into intimacy, allowing songs to take the place of dialogue when feelings become too layered or fragile to convey directly. This deeply collaborative approach creates a world of immediacy, passion, and raw artistry.
What sets Once apart from a typical “Broadway-style musical” is not just its unique, award-winning folk music score, but how that score is delivered. Every actor on stage is also a musician; in fact almost all performers play multiple instruments! The ensemble of performers, many of whom play a variety of community members within the story, are also responsible for creating the instrumental world that every song is set against. This beautiful, symbolic representation of how the community and surroundings of the characters lay the groundwork for the most fun, revealing, and emotionally wrought aspects of their lives is astoundingly impactful and quite unique to this show.
Music as a Shared Language
In many musicals, songs reveal the most heightened emotions characters are experiencing as well as help to move the plot forward. In Once, lyrics become the tools the characters rely on when words fail them, and music is the accelerant that makes those lyrics lush, ric,h and immediate.
Unlike many traditional musicals, most of the songs in this show are not performed directly outward to the audience, but rather as exchanges between characters. This allows for a sense of deepened relationships on stage that we, the audience, have the privilege to witness. This approach creates moments of quiet honesty, person to person. Instead of explaining how they feel, characters reveal themselves through melody, rhythm, and harmony.
The Power of Creative Partnership
Because the actors are also the musicians, collaboration is visible throughout the show: Instruments are passed between performers, songs are built together in real time, and no single person carries the weight of any part of the story on their own.
This ensemble-driven structure mirrors the reality of tight-knit communities as well as creative partnerships. With this motif, trust becomes essential. Each performer must remain responsive, adapting to the energy of the group and the room. As much as listening and responding to the mood and energy of the ensemble is critical for any cast member or musician, it’s doubly critical when those folks are one in the same! And that’s why we rehearse. A lot. The result is a production that feels uniquely alive and in sync. Every performance is shaped by subtle shifts in timing, tone, and interaction. That sense of shared responsibility creates a deeper connection among the cast, and therefore with the audience.
Step into a space where music brings people together and every moment is created live. Experience Once at the Bette Aitken Theater Arts Center. Tickets at chancetheater.dev/once.