Your Sunday Afternoon Zen: Tom Parsons and the cast of Once on a “Stairway to Heaven”

Once is a gem of a show, a musical that unfolds gently and poignantly. It’s romantic but not sentimental, quietly sad and yearning and essential. The Australian production of Once played at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne only.

A virtuosic production, the orchestra consisted of all the actors on stage, and the sound was rich and full, folk rounded with European influence. If you’ve seen the film of the same name you’ll be familiar with ‘Falling Slowly” and the show’s general, quiet vibe.

With such a talented cast, there were plenty of covers along the way. If your only experience with Once was during their performance of “Gold” at this year’s Helpmann Awards, check out this cover, led by Tom Parsons, of “Stairway to Heaven.” It’s exactly the kind of beauty a Sunday requires.