Once The Musical - Australian Premiere

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Amy Lehpamer - actor, singer, some time violinist, full time nail biter - has been a very busy girl since her first major musical theatre role in 2011 in Rock of Ages. Since then she has appeared as the lead in Margaret Fulton: Queen of the Dessert (a Weekend Notes personal favourite), and many other musical productions. Television credits include The Time of Our Lives, Winners and Losers, House Husbands and The Pacific. Amy created the web series Donnatelegrams with Brent Hill for ABC's Fresh Blood initiative.



So what have you been up to since playing the lead in that iconic Australian musical Margaret Fulton: Queen of the Dessert?

Aside from perfecting my pavlova? Last year I played Christine Colgate in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels for a run at Sydney's Theatre Royal alongside the brilliance of Matt Hetherington and Tony Sheldon. And I threw on the cricket whites for Eddie Perfect's Shane Warne the Musical in its revamped Adelaide Cabaret Festival/Hamer Hall run. They were both shows I did very early in my career (08/09) so it was a great privilege to revisit the roles and inject them with some bits and pieces I've learned along the way. This year I made a webseries for the ABC called Donnatelegrams with comedian/writer Lewis Hobba, with songs co-written by my former Rock of Ages and now Once show-mate Brent Hill. It's on YouTube now. Have a look!

**For fans of the original movie Once, what does the musical version bring to the story?
**
Music is the heart and soul of the film, it's the connecting force for the two lead characters. In the show, I think it's amplified because you're experiencing their musicianship, and the musicianship of the people in their world. And it's live. You can hear the breathing, as strange as it sounds, you can see us listening, see us connecting. Your senses are heightened. I think you're more exposed and more vulnerable to the emotional world of the characters.



Describe your character in the show

I'm playing Reza. She's the best friend of "Girl" in the show, and is quite a force of nature. Czech, brazen, full of passion and music.

The cast looks like a bunch of ridiculous overachievers. What it's like to work with such a talented group of people?

The whole cast has so much to offer and are all so generous with their talents. We're a rag tag bunch of music lovers and performers - there are a lot of laughs between jam sessions. The show requires us to listen intensely and responsively - to actively operate as one band, and it's been a genuine privilege to be a part of putting it together.



Producer John Frost has said: "I love the charm of this show and think Melbourne audiences will particularly fall for its beautiful songs and warm and wonderful storytelling." What is it about this production that might make it so appealing to Melburnians?

Once is set in Dublin and I think Melbourne and Dublin share some similarities. Music is important. Art is important. And whatever the weather, Melburnians are good at seeking out the best of both.

And finally, what is it that you are most looking forward to about performing in the Melbourne season of Once?

Watching the show grow as we get to connect with an audience. And making friends with my violin again. It's been a long time since I've played this much and I'm really loving the experience.

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