Once (musical)

Once
Broadway promotional poster
Music	Glen Hansard Markéta Irglová
Lyrics	Glen Hansard Markéta Irglová
Book	Enda Walsh
Basis	Once by John Carney
Productions	2011 Off-Broadway 2012 Broadway 2013 Dublin 2013 West End 2013 First US Tour 2014 Melbourne 2014 Seoul 2015 Toronto 2015 Dublin 2015 Seoul 2016 Second US Tour
Awards	Tony Award for Best Musical Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music

Once is a musical stage adaptation based on the 2007 film of the same name by John Carney. Like the film, music and lyrics were by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, including the Academy Award-winning "Falling Slowly". The book for the musical was written by Enda Walsh. The musical premiered at the New York Theatre Workshop in 2011, before transferring to Broadway in 2012. The production received eleven 2012 Tony Award nominations, and won eight including Best Musical, Best Actor and Best Book. The musical also won the 2012 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical and the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. It has since spawned a London production, with a North American Tour which started on 1 October 2013.

In the musical, the cast also serves as the orchestra. A minimalist set is used, including a bar in center stage with chairs lining stage left and right. Exiting cast members simply step to the side of the stage and sit down. They serve as the orchestra from these chairs. The bar is used before the show and at intermission as a working bar for theater patrons.

Once premiered in a workshop at the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge, MA, in April 2011, before its transfer to New York Theatre Workshop where it made its Off-Broadway debut on 6 December 2011, following previews from 15 November, on a run through 15 January 2012. Under the direction of John Tiffany, the original cast was led by Steve Kazee and Cristin Milioti as Guy and Girl, respectively. The production was nominated for Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Director, Outstanding Choreographer, Outstanding Scenic Design (Bob Crowley), Outstanding Lighting Design (Natasha Katz), Outstanding Sound Design (Clive Goodwin), and Outstanding Lead Actress. The production won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Musical.