In 2006, the intimate Irish movie “Once” conquered millions of hearts with its sincere romance between two young musicians in Dublin. The film earned back 100 times its $200,000 budget, and the tune “Falling Slowly” landed an Oscar for Original Song.
Now, the lovely indie movie has become a lovely off-Broadway musical — with rumors of an impending uptown transfer.
Magically, the show manages to be faithful to its source while weaving a spell of its own.
This is the rare stage adaptation that makes total sense, as the songs were an integral part of the film’s storytelling: Guy and Girl meet through music, fall in love through music, and express their feelings through music.
Those unnamed roles were originally played by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, who also penned the pop-rock score — and famously fell in love during the shoot.
We don’t know if there are backstage shenanigans between Steve Kazee and Cristin Milioti at New York Theatre Workshop, where the show opened last night.
It doesn’t matter: As a yearning Irish busker and a po-faced Czech pianist, they are the beating heart of this “Once.” When they launch into the familiar “Falling Slowly,” “If You Want Me,” “When Your Mind’s Made Up” and “The Hill,” make sure you have tissues on hand — there’s a lot of sniffling at this show.
Fine, so Kazee is a little too wholesome for the scruffy Guy, and his Irish accent goes in and out. But he has a warm rapport with Milioti (“The Little Foxes,” “Stunning”), who turns longing into an art form.
The other key part of the equation is the creative team’s sensitive, inventive work.
Book writer Enda Walsh tightened the action, confirming that he’s on a roll these days — his own play “Misterman” just opened at St. Ann’s Warehouse.
After “Black Watch” and “Peter and the Starcatcher,” director John Tiffany and movement director Steven Hoggett confirm that they’re uniquely gifted in telling a story in purely theatrical terms.
Everything takes place in a slightly run-down Dublin pub, with only very basic props and lighting changes to suggest different scenes and locations. You can even buy a Guinness at the bar before the show, and during intermission, while the extraordinary ensemble — which doubles as a no-less-extraordinary band — performs some tunes.
That everybody onstage sings and plays their own instruments helps smoothly integrate the plot and songs. You don’t even think of the last as “numbers” anymore, as love, music and life merge into an organic whole.
Here’s to “Once,” then, a musical that’s as unabashedly romantic, funny, passionate and sad as you dreamed it would be.