PHILADELPHIA – Theatre-goers lined the sidewalks outside of the Academy of Music in anticipation of the final performance of the Tony-Award-winning musical Once. A breakthrough musical, Once follows the growing relationship between two unnamed characters, referred to as Guy and Girl in the playbill, as she tries to bolster his spirits and transform his musical ability into a career. But, her distant husband and his lingering feeling for his absent ex-girlfriend threaten to undermine their obvious affections for each other.

Once is unlike many shows as far as music goes; all the background music was provided by characters onstage who used their own instruments. Sitting on the side of the stage, violinists, cellists, and many more would creep into songs so subtly that all of a sudden I would realize that it wouldn’t be just the Guy singing and playing his guitar alone, but an entire arrangement of musicians playing with him. The manner in which all the actors moved and danced while playing instruments with such ease was truly impressive.

Among the silly numbers like “Abandoned in Bandon,” sung by a hopelessly unaware ton-deaf bank manager, were awe-inspiring pieces that sent chills up and down my body. The opening number, “Leave,” sung by the male lead Stuart Ward, was powerful in the fact that it was such a raw moment full of emotion and devoid of any music other than his guitar. The iconic number of the show, “Falling Slowly,” was performed sweetly and honestly, also with great emotion between Ward’s Guy and Dani de Waal’s Girl. One more song that stood out was the song they tried to impress the record label with, “When Your Mind’s Made Up.” Reflective of the situation between Guy and Girl, the song blended their voices with the ensemble to create beautiful and striking harmonies along with equally impressive instrumental performances.

The acting performances were up to par as well. From the attempts of Girl to deny her feelings for Guy to the hilariously nonthreatening threats from the shop owner against Guy, Once weaved skillfully through heavy emotions and fun moments.

Another interesting visual factor in the musical was the scene changes, done by all the actors. During the fast-paced end of songs, many members of the ensemble would rise and grab chairs and tables to place in new arrangements. They essentially changed scenes within the song, using quick and precise movements.

While the ambiguous ending to the love story left me disappointed, the finale song, a reprise of “Falling Slowly” that included the entire ensemble, ended too soon – I wanted the music to last much longer. Thoroughly impressed by the production, I would recommend Once to older teens and adults who would appreciate a new, entertaining, and emotional type of musical.