Once the Musical

The hit Broadway musical ‘Once’ is reportedly heading to London in March 2013, according to Today’s Daily Mail newspaper. The show was a huge winner at the Tony Awards Ceremony this year, winning 8 of the awards out of the 11 it was nominated for, including Best Musical, Best Actor and Best Book. The musical is a stage adaptation of the 2006 film of the same name which became a hit despite having a minimal budget. Much of the story remains the same between the film and the musical, including many of the songs such as ‘Falling Slowly’, between the two lead characters on guitar and piano.

‘Once’ is expected to open at the Phoenix Theatre in March 2013 after the short run of ‘Goodnight Mister Tom’ completes its Christmas Season. The Phoenix Theatre has been home to long running musical ‘Blood Brothers’ for the past 24 years, and is currently operated by ATG Theatres. The Tottenham Court Road venue has been a popular home for musicals, and will be the perfect setting for this intimate and interesting new musical.

The musical attracted attention in New York due to its minimalist approach, using fantastic staging and actor musicians to create an atmosphere. Unlike many big budget Broadway musicals, the set for the show included a simple working bar (that could be used by audience members during the interval) along with a row of chairs that the actors sat on when not on-stage. Each actor provides the musical accompaniment to the show rather than having a separate orchestra, creating an intense stage atmosphere.

The story follows a thirty year old Dublin busker who meets a young unnamed Czech woman in a bar and they instantly make a connection. She plays the piano and he plays the guitar, and they are brought together through their love of music. As their relationship develops throughout the show, the audience are drawn into their world in a simple yet effective way.

The Broadway production featured  Steve Kazee (who won the Tony Award for Best Actor) as The Guy and Cristin Milioti as the Girl. No casting news has yet been released, but we will update you as news progresses, along with ticket updates.