In the 1970s the  Broadway hopeful had to know how to dance sing and act while in the late 1990s a new talent was added in that they had to know how to play an instrument. In the touring production of “Once”, that opened at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts Tuesday evening, another dimension was added which was of precise movement in tandem with the rest of the players and what they all were doing. In the credits there is a listing ‘movement by Steven Hoggett’ richly deserved. There are scenes where an actor with an outstretched arm will become two with another actor as if it was the most natural of movements. In whatever they did, whether moving tables, chairs, instruments, singing or dancing, the movement was an important part.

In this Tony Award winning show we meet Guy (Stuart Ward, who also plays guitar) and Girl (Dani de Waal, piano) along with their various friends and family such as his father (Scott Waara, mandolin), her mother (Tina Stafford, accordion and concertina) and her daughter (Sarah McKinley Austin). The rest of the cast consists of Matt DeAngelis (guitar, mandolin, banjo, drums and percussion), Zander Meisner (piano, guitar, percussion, melodica, harmonica), Evan Harrington (guitar, percussion, ukulele), Ryan Link (guitar, banjo), Jon-Alex MacFarlane (cello,guitar), Alex Nee (electric bass, ukulele, guitar, percussion), Erica Spyres (violin, percussion) and Claire Wellin (violin).

With a book by Enda Walsh, the score by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, we take a trip on a funny and emotional love story that doesn’t have the typical ‘happy ever after’ ending and yet leaves the audience more than satisfied.The lighting designer Natasha Katz adds a lot to the performance.

Most of the cast of “Once” have been on tour together for over 2 years though the performance looks as fresh as it was their opening night. They received a well deserved standing ovation, not a given in Fort Lauderdale.