Darlinghurst Theatre Company’s Once The Musical || Stefanie Caccamo

The Fame Reporter interviewed established theatre performer Stefanie Caccamo. Stefanie is currently starring as Girl in the new Darlinghurst Theatre Company’s Once The Musical. The show is playing at HOTA on the Gold Coast from 17 – 22 June.

The achingly beautiful hit musical that strikes an unforgettable chord. The multi award-winning musical ONCE is making its highly-anticipated debut in the Gold Coast this June!

An enchanting tale about a Dublin street musician on the verge of giving up, when a charming Czech piano-player takes a sudden interest in his music. Once is a tender love story about reaching for your dreams and the power of music to connect us all. With a cast who each play their own instruments on stage and bring the soaring score to life, including ‘Falling Slowly’, the Oscar-winning song from the original film, this spellbinding musical will have you holding your breath from beginning to end.

We sat down with the incredible and multi-talented Stefanie Caccamo and talked about her unique audition experience for the production, what she admires about her character, what she appreciates about the connection of live theatre and more.

Welcome to The Fame Reporter Stefanie. What was it that sparked your interest in performing initially?
Singing is my number one. I have been singing for as long as I can remember. In school choirs and the Australian Girls Choir. I started classical voice training from about 11 years old and I did that until the end of high school.

The acting side came along in high school through school musicals. I figured music theatre was the best of both worlds in terms of the classical singing and acting.

I went to WAAPA (West Australian Academy of Performing Arts) after that. But I always loved singing and I am a self-taught pianist, playing the piano was always something that I loved.

My big sister was a beautiful classical singer and a pianist, and I always wanted to be like her. I followed her into it but then I took it that step further and pursued it.

What about Once enticed you to want to be involved in Darlinghurt Theatre Company’s production and what was your reaction when you found out you landed the role of Girl?
I actually didn’t want to audition for ‘Once’ initially. Not because I didn’t think it was a fantastic show but because I didn’t think I could do it. I didn’t think I had the skills to play the piano, like I mentioned I am a self-taught pianist.

I wrote off the show before I properly looked into it. My agent asked me many times and I kept saying no, I’m not auditioning.

Then I happened to watch the Director of ‘Once’, Richard Carroll’s production of ‘Calamity Jane’ at the Comedy Theatre in 2019. I thought it was one of the best things I had ever seen.

I emailed Richard and I said, that the show was incredible and he emailed back and said ‘Thanks, are you coming in for Once?’ and I said no. That same day my agent got an email for an audition request from Richard Carroll.

I thought I’ll go in and suss it out and the audition process was so magical, and I thought thank God I auditioned for this. I really wanted it.

He asked me if I thought I could get the piano going and I said yes. But I was lying through my teeth. I knew I had the skills, but I wasn’t sure until I started. I worked my little butt off. Eventually I got to a place where I got comfortable with it.

It was magical when I landed the role. I was scared to death, absolutely scared to death because of the musical aspect of it.

I worked really hard for the few weeks leading up to it. It ended up being an absolute dream role.

What did you connect to when reading Girl’s narrative and character arc?
For me, being European, being Italian, I really resonated with her fire, passion, determination, and the fact that she is unfiltered.

It is a very Italian thing to say what you feel. It all comes from love; it is intense, and for some people, it might seem blunt or rude, but really, it’s just passion.

When you see someone in need, and you see their potential like Girl does with Guy and you don’t want them to give up you’ll do anything to help them. The tough love thing.

Also, I didn’t really find it in the first season but I’m finding it more in the second season, how fun and sarcastic she is. She very much feels like she’s a part of me. That is just so incredibly rare. It almost feels like I’m cheating, like I’m playing myself on stage or something.

What do you love about working with this multi-talented cast who are actors, singers, and musicians simultaneously for this unique musical?
It is such a joy, and I have learnt so much from these incredible musicians. For me to feel comfortable onstage playing music live with a bunch of other people is something I never thought that I would be a part of. It’s truly magical, and I feel incredibly lucky and grateful.

Everyone is so talented, and the show is so unique. Overall, I think I have learnt a lot, and it feels like nothing I’ll ever do ever again.

What do you love about Girl and Guy’s relationship?
I like that they are very different as people. You have the cultural difference. He is Irish, and she is Czech, but the way that they connect when they first meet is through music because music is universal. Then through that they develop a friendship and a love.

That’s what I love about their relationship. It starts off a bit rocky and they are butting heads but as soon as they start making music, that’s their way into each other’s hearts and souls.

How do you think the music by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová elevates this heartachingly beautiful story about love, human connection, and acceptance of difference?
That is what’s so wonderful about music. It is not like your normal musical where a character can no longer find the words anymore, so they must sing about their experiences and emotions. These songs are kind of external things, but they propel the story along because of the simplicity of the music and lyrics.

Not because they are directly explaining the story or script, but they aid the story with the lyrics whist trying to get their messages across without being on the nose about it. That’s what is so great about musical theatre, it can be on the nose. But this show is subtle, and that’s what I love about it.

Everyone connects to the music in their own way. Everyone can apply their own experience and their own feelings to the songs.

The song ‘Falling slowly’ might mean something to me, it could mean something completely different to someone else, and that’s what I love about this show. It is really accessible.

What have you learnt about the Czech Republic’s culture and people whilst preparing for the role of Girl and through playing her?
I have learnt a little bit of the language. We sing a song in the show called ‘Ej, Pada, Pada, Rosicka.’ That has been fun. I love singing in different languages.

I am classically trained, I sang Italian, German, and French growing up. So, for me, it is kind of normal to me to get my mouth around a different language.

What 3 performers dead or alive would you love to have a dinner party with?
Markita Marclova, she is wonderful. Audra McDonald, she has influenced me a lot as a performer, and right now, in my life, Nick Cave.

I ashamedly recently discovered Nick Cave. I feel like I should have known him earlier, I went to his concert in Sydney recently. I absolutely fell in love with his lyrics. The music is insane. It was like going to church, it was an incredible experience. I would love to get into songwriting and I feel like the way that he writes is so special.

Why should audiences come along and see Once the Musical when it arrives on the Gold Coast?
Look, it is just unlike anything you have seen. It is so unique. The story is simple and so relatable. Theatre is amazing because it can be for escapism, but what’s beautiful about this, is it is a real human story.

It’ll make you cry, make you laugh, and it will break your heart a little bit, but it will fill it up at the same time.

If the story isn’t enough, come along and see some live musicians. 13 of us onstage playing live, spinning around like crazy, jumping on people’s shoulders whilst playing the violin. It is a beautiful wild amazing night out.

Lastly, who or what inspires you?
I think it is forever changing the things that inspire me as I grow. Right now, with this show, seeing how much it moves audiences.

I am going to say the audiences inspire me because I want to inspire them. I really enjoy the curtain call and looking in people’s eyes and seeing how much the story and the show and the music has moved them.

That keeps me going and inspired after 4 years of doing the same show.

Fame Reporter Word Play

Once
Falling Slowly

Dream collaborator
Jay Laga’aia

Favourite song of all time that you never get sick of
Higher Love

Instruments
Piano

Hoover
Sucker guy

WAAPA
Family

Lizzie the Musical
Gore

Czech Republic
The language – Miluji tě (I love you in Czech)

Dressing Room necessity
Gaviscon

Toby Francis
The best human alive

Dublin
Potatoes

Music
Connection

Rob Guest Endowment
Opportunity

Beautiful
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, a once in a lifetime experience

Place you want to travel to
Europe, I still need to go to Italy

Favourite Once song
Leave

TV Binge
Selling Sunset

Oklahoma
Camp

Future dream
To be in an action film

Finally, favourite thing about performing
Constantly challenging myself, I get to do what I love as a job, how lucky am I. I feel like since I started working professionally, my world has opened up.