‘Once’ Canadian stars to visit characters’ homelands ahead of February opening

By Victoria Ahearn, The Canadian Press

TORONTO – Ian Lake and Trish Lindstrom are pulling out their songbooks and suitcases to prepare for their starring roles in an all-Canadian production of the smash musical “Once.”

Earlier this week, Mirvish Productions announced the Stratford Festival actors will play the leads of Guy, an Irish musician who has lost his love and inspiration, and Girl, a Czech immigrant who reignites his passion for art and romance during one week in Dublin.

The production is set to begin performances Feb. 10 at the Ed Mirvish Theatre, and the two are going the distance to get into character.

“We start rehearsals in January and I’m going to Prague, I’m going to fly to the Czech Republic to do research,” Lindstrom said in an interview.

“I’m going to be in Dublin,” added Lake. “I bought a ticket to Dublin because I thought, ‘Why not?’ Just go soak it in.”

Lake has performed in many Stratford productions, including “Othello,” “Cymbeline,” and “Twelfth Night.” Lindstrom has also taken on many productions at Stratford, including her current starring roles in “Alice Through the Looking-Glass” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream: A Chamber Play.”

The two said they first met six years ago at the Stratford Festival. They we weren’t in a show together, but they were acquaintances.

“When I heard that Ian got the (role), I just breathed a sigh of relief,” said Lindstrom. “I thought, ‘This is an incredible actor … who also plays and also sings, and that was incredibly thrilling.

“Also knowing that it’s somebody that I’ve been acquaintances with for years and we have so many friends in common, that really makes a difference.”

Lake echoed her thoughts, noting he’s “had such a great respect for Trish’s work for a long time.”

“My first season at Stratford, I saw her play Sally Bowles in ‘Cabaret,’ and then a couple of years later she was playing Miranda opposite Christopher Plummer in ‘The Tempest,’ so that was sort of like, ‘What can’t she do?'” he said. “So I was really thrilled when I found out that I was going to have someone like her to play opposite, because there’s a lot of nuances in this show and there’s a lot of really delicate moments to find.”

The two said there was a huge buzz in the theatre community when word came out that there would be a homegrown production of the Tony Award-winning “Once,” which is based on the Oscar-winning film.

“I’m thrilled that a show that has a big production in London and a big production on Broadway has chosen Toronto as their third sit-down show,” said Lake. “It just shows that there’s some respect for what we have going on here.”

“It’s unlike any other musical,” added Lindstrom. “It’s so understated. There’s not a lot of gloss and glitz to it at all. It’s about heart, it’s about all of these actors.”

Indeed, acting is the skill that’s most important in the show, say the two. The singing and playing are secondary, as the two characters are supposed to have a certain vulnerability when performing together.

In fact, “Once” marks Lake’s first musical theatre audition.

“This is a bit of a step outside what I’m used to doing,” he said. “I’ve been playing guitar for a while, but in my bedroom by myself.”

Lindstrom is in a similar situation, having not played piano since she was a child.

“I haven’t played piano in a long time, so I get up there and I do feel like a beginner,” she said. “We’re actors who play instruments, so it’s a real challenge and I think it’ll be thrilling to watch.”

The two took to the stage together in front of an audience for the first time last Tuesday as Mirvish announced its season lineup. Lindstrom said the performance was a result of them “madly rehearsing for about five days.”

While they plan to practise their instruments a lot in the coming months, they like that there will be a certain sensitive quality during their performances.

“That is part of what the essence of the show is,” said Lake. “And I think the character of Guy is someone has a voice through his own music but it’s not something that he is particularly spreading to the masses. It’s a private thing for him as well.”

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