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Humor and heart: 'Once' realizes the essence of musical theater in tale of unrealized love

Published: 17 Mar. 2025, 15:17 Updated: 17 Mar. 2025, 17:13

LEE JIAN
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[Review]

Actors Lee Choog-joo as Guy, left, and Lee Ye-eun as Girl perform in the musical ″Once″ at Coex Artium in Gangnam District, southern Seoul. [SENSEE COMPANY]

Those unfamiliar with musicals often complain that they can’t understand why a character suddenly bursts into song mid-conversation — but “Once” might just change their minds.

It may not be a grand spectacle or a tear-jerking drama, but "Once" embodies the essence of musical theater in its purest form: a story told through music.

A Czech immigrant, identified as Girl, who loves the piano approaches Guy, an Irish man aspiring to be a singer, after hearing him sing an anger-charged, passionate love song about his ex-girlfriend called “Leave,” at a run-down Dublin bar.

“Did you write that?” Girl asks, her curiosity cutting through her thick Czech accent. Guy, defensive yet disarmed, admits to penning the song. But he makes sure to say he isn’t a singer. “I work at my dad’s vacuum repair shop, fixing Hoovers.” And like all the best love stories, this one also begins randomly as Girl exclaims, "Really? I have a broken Hoover!"

Girl is quirky and strong-willed, expressing her fondness for her instrument of choice. “You must always say 'hello' to the piano,” she insists. “And ‘I love you.’”

But beneath her odd charm that draws much laughter, she — like Guy — is stuck in the past, hiding behind a facade.

The cast of musical ″Once″ performs at Coex Artium in Gangnam District, southern Seoul. [SENSEE COMPANY]

The production’s book, written by Enda Walsh and translated by Hwang Seok-hee, largely unfolds like the original 2007 low-budget film, directed by John Carney.

Hwang’s meticulous translation helps bridge cultural gaps in the script, making the Irish humor land surprisingly well for Korean audiences. The show turned out to be much funnier than expected.

Bob Crowley’s stage design incorporates mirrors to reflect both the cast and audience, enhancing spatial intimacy. The close interaction among the actor-musicians deepens this connection, effectively recreating the indie film’s iconic cozy warmth within the COEX Artium — a challenging feat for a relatively large theater space with a seating capacity of around 1,000 people.

Actor-musicians perform during the musical ″Once″ at Coex Artium in Gangnam District, southern Seoul. [SENSEE COMPANY]

Actors Lee Choong-joo and Lee Ye-eun, alternating actors for roles of Guy and Girl, gave perfectly charming performances.

Lee Choong-joo, a veteran with over two dozen musicals under his belt, plays a more mature version of Guy than the film’s Glen Hansard. His performance was smooth, though possibly too much so, as he didn't quite hit the full weight of Guy’s self-deprecating charm. For example, when he apologizes to Girl after trying to hit on her, he says: “I’m sorry. It’s just that you’re gorgeous, and I’m incredibly lonely.”

Actor Lee Ye-eun plays the piano as Girl during the musical ″Once″ at Coex Artium in Gangnam District, southern Seoul. [SENSEE COMPANY]

Lee Ye-eun’s portrayal of Girl is endearing and confident. The idea of her doing a Czech accent was initially troubling: Could Korean actors deliver an immigrant accent without appearing offensive? In Western productions, Czech actors are usually cast in the role.

Yet, in practice, it never felt uncomfortable. Lee reportedly studied Marketa Irglova, the Czech actress from the original film, and listened to other Czech speakers online. She observed that they spoke “softly,” and that attention to detail paid off. Her performance never felt like an exaggerated imitation, but rather an authentic part of her character.

Actor Lee Choong-joo plays the guitar as Guy during the musical ″Once″ at Coex Artium in Gangnam District, southern Seoul. [SENSEE COMPANY]

A notable highlight of the musical came at its last song, the reprisal version of the show’s 12 o’clock number “Falling Slowly" after Guy and Girl decide their separate ways instead of pursuing the romantic connection they've fostered over the last few days.

In the movie, the reprise plays as background music, with Guy staring at a piano, lost in the memories of Girl. But in the musical, it becomes a poignant final duet with Girl singing from the Dublin bar and Guy from his apartment in New York.

In this version, the lyrics are open for more interpretation. The first time they sang “Falling Slowly,” it was about their past relationships. But now, the “sinking boat” they want to save is their own.

This musical doesn’t have an open ending. Guy and Girl will never meet again, hence the title “Once.”

“Love's all very well, but in the hands of people, it turns into soup,” as a line in the show goes.

But musically, this ending of unrealized love doesn’t sound so tragic for Guy and Girl. The final song concludes on an inverted C major chord, which evokes a gentle uplifting feel and a sense of moving forward, just as the curtains drop.

It makes us hopeful. Though this love didn’t work, perhaps Guy and Girl gained something just as important: courage — the courage to live and love again.

“Once” runs through May 31 at Coex Artium in Gangnam District, southern Seoul.

BY LEE JIAN [[email protected]]