“Once” — the winner of eight Tony Awards, including Best Orchestrations (Martin Lowe), Best Direction of a Musical (John Tiffany) and Best Book (Enda Walsh) — hit Overture Hall at the Overture Center Tuesday, bringing with it magnificent performances, tremendous musicianship and affecting set design.

Based on the Irish film of the same name, “Once” tells the compelling story of a Dublin singer/songwriter (known as guy) who meets a beautiful and talented Czech girl (known as girl), showing his interest in her through a heartbreaking love song he’s written. Together, they start a transformative and life-changing journey.

The musical’s unorthodox nature announced itself almost immediately. The musical is primarily set in a bar, and this bar was opened to the audience before the show even started. The audience could pay a couple dollars to have a cup of wine or just wander around, see the settings and feel the ambiance on their own. It was an exciting and mind-blowing idea. Everyone on the stage became a part of the musical, the story and the experience.

Once the show got started, the music was amazing and the story was enchanting. But what differentiated “Once” from other musicals was that the cast also served as the orchestra. Cast members stepped to the center of the stage when they were needed; otherwise, they would step to the side of the stage, sit down on the chairs lining stage left and right and accompany the lyrics with their instruments. These musicians were so talented they could play a variety of instruments while acting, singing and dancing.

The transition between scenes was another surprise and highlight of the show. The sets were simple but effective. There were no fancy scene change techniques. Rather, musicians would continue playing music to keep audience members entertained. During the first transition, five musicians played “North Strand” with violins, guitar, banjo and mandolin while the crew reset the stage for the next scene. But they were not simply playing the instruments. They also danced, moving toward and away from each other with the dynamics of the music. This technique made these transitions less tedious than they otherwise could have been.

Perhaps the most effective element of the set was the mirrors that made up a considerable chunk of the set. There was a big, rectangular mirror in the middle of the set, with many smaller ones covering the rest of the wall. Since the bar wall was arc-shaped, the light reflected off the mirrors and was projected on the center of the stage. When the girl and the guy sang the song “Falling Slowly” together, the spotlight dimmed down while hundreds of candles on the wall gradually lit up. The reflection of candles on the mirrors created a hazy and mysterious ambiance, which created a stunning sensory illusion that distorted the distance between the guy and the girl. Their facial expressions faded away as the light went down, but their voices became even more powerful in the dark. Without visuals to complement them, the emotions behind the song became so strong that my heart trembled with thrill. It was just one of the many touching moments in a touching music that cannot be missed.

“Once” runs until Oct. 12. Buy tickets here.