In 2007, a small independent film about an Dublin street musician and a Czech immigrant falling in love took the world by storm. With music written and performed by stars Glen Hansard, of the band The Frames, and Marketa Irglova, Once seemed an obvious choice for a stage musical.
So Irish playwright Enda Walsh and acclaimed director John Tiffany did just that, scooping up eight Tony Awards in 2012 for their efforts, including Best Musical.
Now Once is coming to the Winspear Opera House for five performances only, November 22-24, and you can experience the magic in person.
The musical is unlike any other you've seen, for several reasons. One is that the actors are also musicians, playing guitar, piano, drums, violin, and even accordion while also singing and acting.
You also have the chance to enter into the Once world before the show and during its intermission. Part of the set is a working bar, and audience members are invited up onstage to purchase a pint and see up close the world in which Guy and Girl fall deeply, tragically in love. It's a show about going for your dreams and the power of music to connect us all.
Tickets for Once start at $30, and the show is recommended for ages five and up. Note that the opening of this show is very quiet, so if you arrive after the show begins you will not be seated until 25 minutes into the show. But you were going to come early for that pint, weren't you?
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Presented by AT&T Performing Arts Center, the national tour of Once plays the Winspear Opera House November 22, 24.
The cast of Once plays their own instruments.
