A young, lonely and jilted Irish singer/songwriter croons away in a Dublin bar. A pragmatic, high spirited Czech girl notices the beauty and sadness in his voice. Her love of music and caring personality draws her to him in an attempt to lift him up and make something of his musical talents. An unlikely collaboration ensues that will make you laugh, stomp your feet and cry.

“Once”, a musical written by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, made it to the Broadway stage in 2012. It won eight Tony awards including Best Musical and ran for about three years. This gem of a show is currently in its one-week only run at the Forestburgh Playhouse. And the Playhouse has chosen to stage the production in their Tavern as opposed to the main stage. A brilliant move! The intimate background of the Tavern goes hand in hand with the common setting of the show, a Dublin pub. Kudos to Set Designer Maggie Jackson’s innovative extending of the Tavern stage that still keeps the set very friendly.

We, the audience, sit right there in the pub listening to the patrons and mostly the music. Fiddlers (I love the fiddle!) saunter and sneak in and out amongst our seats. There is no pit of musicians. The various pub musicians play all of the show’s music and portray numerous characters as well. This is a huge part of the show’s charm. It really is invigorating to know that a show with a minimalist set and no pit or stage spectacle can win a Tony for Best Musical. But, of course, there has to be talent and this production has it all. I can’t laud enough praise on this incredible ensemble (this has been quite the season for outstanding ensembles!). They were pub musicians, parents, friends, lovers, and everything in between. Their collective warm and loving spirit envelopes the Tavern whether in character or strumming their instruments. I have to admit that I have a soft spot for fiddlers! I don’t know what it is, but the fiddle tends to get my blood pumping and my toes-a-tappin. I must tip my cap to fiddlers Julia Hoffmann, Stephen Blauch, Kamilah Lay and Tyler Landusky.

Barry Tarallo as Da and Lynn Flickinger as the Czech Mom make us feel just the right amount of home. Eric Dobson as Billy, Sam C. Jones as Eamon, Joseph Scott Holt as the banker, Collin Yates as Svec and Elyse Behnke as Ivanka rounded out this cast as a menagerie of unique characters that all contributed to this touching and often very funny storyline. Everyone I have just mentioned played the roles I listed and so much more. They were just as much musicians as they were actors and worked these transitions seamlessly.

However, the two leads, simply called the Girl and the Guy, played by Katrien Van Riel and Shawn W. Smith are the true heartbeat of this theatrical experience. They pour their souls into the roles of two young people from different lands who have loved, lived and lost so much in their short lives. Their emotions are genuine. The love story they portray isn’t a classic one and that makes it all the more heartrending. Songs like Ms. Van Riel’s rendition of “the Hill” and Mr. Smith’s “Leave” wet the eyes and soften any toughened old sod.

Thanks to some imaginative and artful staging by Director/Choreographer Trey Compton, this production skillfully moves through various scenes without a bother. He has created a well-oiled machine that works wonders on this smaller tight-knit setting.

“Once” combines so many flavors. A lot of singing with a dash of dance. There is a resonant Irish atmosphere sprinkled with Eastern European. It mixes tears with laughs and smiles. You will leave the Tavern a better person!

“Once” will run through September 13. Tickets and info are available through the box office at (845) 794-1194 or online at fbplayhouse.org.