Act One
On a street in Dublin, Guy, a musician, sings a song he wrote ("Leave"). As he puts his guitar on the ground and is about to leave it, Girl, a Czech woman, approaches and asks him if he wrote that song and why he is leaving his guitar behind. Guy explains he doesn't want it anymore and that he works for his dad's vacuum cleaner repair shop. Girl excitedly tells him that her vacuum needs repairing and that she can repay him in music. She takes Guy to a shop owned by Billy, who lets Girl play the piano there. She implores Guy to play another song of his. Guy refuses and begins leaves, but sheet music falls from his bag. Guy tells her to keep the sheet music and again turns to leave, just she begins to play his music on the piano. He stops. He gets out his guitar and they sing his song together ("Falling Slowly"). Girl asks Guy who the song is about, but Guy evades her questions.
At the vacuum repair shop, Girl talks to Da, Guy's father. After Guy fixes her vacuum, he offers to show her his room. In his room, guy plays her a recording of one of his songs ("The Moon"). In the recording, Guy and his Ex-Girlfriend are talking about the song. Guy explains to Girl that she left six months ago for New York and has met someone there. Girl tells him that he should go to New York to win her back and asks him to make a CD of his songs. Guy tries to kiss her, and she stops him.
The next day, Guy comes by Billy's shop and apologizes to Girl for his behavior. He walks her home and hands her a CD. Girl invites him to her apartment, where he meets her roommates Andrej, Svec, and Reza and mother Baruska. A little girl enters, and Girl introduces her, Ivonka, as her daughter ("Ej Padá, Padá Rosička").
Later, Girl listens to Guy's CD and asks him why there are no lyrics. Guy invites her to add her own. When he asks about Ivonka's father, Girl elusively replies that they are having difficulties and he is not around. They thank each other and agree to meet again. After he leaves, Baruska implies that there is something between Girl and Guy, but Girl insists they are just friends. Alone, she plays Guy's CD and sings her own words along with his music ("If You Want Me").
Another day, Guy plays a song he's made up about the sad state of his life ("Broken Hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy") when Girl enters. She proposes that they record his songs to submit to a record company and hopefully win his Ex-Girlfriend back. Somewhat reluctant and skeptical, Guy agrees.
First, they must go to the bank for a loan to pay for recording in a studio. Before they head to the bank, Baruska tells Girl and Guy (and the audience) a cautionary tale of a man who almost chased his dreams but never did out of fear. Because he does not understand Czech, Guy does not know what she is saying. At the bank, the Bank Manager is sympathetic to Girl's impassioned case for their loan but tells them he needs assurance that they will be able to pay back the loan. Guy sings one of his songs ("Say It to Me Now"), profoundly moving the Bank Manager. It turns out he has a guitar of his own. He performs a song of his own for Guy and Girl ("Abandoned in Bandon"). When he asks for their honest feedback, they tell he can play well but can't sing or write songs. Nevertheless, the Bank Manager grants them a loan.
At a pub's open mic, Guy and Girl are watching her friends perform. When the host announces the next performer as "The Hooverman", Girl tells Guy that it's him. Nervous, Guy performs a love song ("Gold"). Guy and Girl look at each other during the song, in love with each other.
Act Two
At a rehearsal in Billy's shop, tensions are running high - especially between Billy and the Bank Manager, who are both in Guy and Girl's band. Rehearsal becomes complete chaos, and Billy kicks them out of his shop. At a pub, Guy begs Billy to give the band another chance. Girl asks Reza to seduce and charm Billy as a favor. In return, Reza tells Girl to be honest about her feelings for Guy and to tell him how she feels. Reza and Billy hit it off and dance.
Guy and Girl take a small trip to Howth Head to be by the sea. Guy reminisces about his childhood memories of this place. A romantic moment almost happens, but Girl clarifies that she is still married to Ivonka's father. Guy asks her in Czech if she still loves him. Girl replies in Czech that she loves Guy, but he doesn't know what she's saying. As she leaves and the scene changes, Guy sings ("Sleeping").
At the studio, Guy, Girl and the band record their first song ("When Your Mind's Made Up"). While everyone else takes a break after that song, Girl plays a song alone ("The Hill") that reveals her feelings about Guy, who walks in on her singing. After she finishes, she tells Guy that her husband is coming to Dublin to try to work things out. Guy accuses her of pushing him away, and Girl retorts that he still has something with his ex in New York. He reveals that he no longer sings his songs for his former love - his sings for them. Girl stops him and tells him "It Cannot Be About That". Guy leaves ("Gold (A Cappella)").
Another day, Bank Manager and Billy have made amends and found common ground with each other. Girl approaches Guy and asks him if he will call Ex-Girlfriend that night. Guy says he will and asks her to come by later. Girl hesitantly agrees. At his father's shop, Guy plays his record for Da, who is very proud of his son. Guy finally calls Ex-Girlfriend. She confesses she misses him. When he tells her that he's coming to New York, she is overjoyed - and so is he. Girl does not show up.
At her apartment, Billy, Andrej, Svec, and Reza surprise Girl with a piano. She sits at the piano. Although they are in separate places, Guy and Girl play together ("Falling Slowly (Reprise)").
Girl
A determined and witty dreamer. Girl has come from the Czech Republic to Dublin for a new life. She is passionate about playing the piano and making music.
Gender: female
Vocal range top: B4
Vocal range bottom: F#3
Guy
A down-on-his-luck musician in Dublin. He is lovesick and lost. I loves making songs and playing guitar but is ready to give up.
Falsetto up to C#5
Gender: male
Vocal range top: G#4
Vocal range bottom: F#2
Billy
A music store owner who allows Girl to play piano in his shop. Opinionated and loyal to those he cares about. Plays guitar.
Gender: male
Reza
Girl's vivacious and flirtatious roommate. Plays violin.
Gender: female
Vocal range top: A5
Vocal range bottom: D4
Baruska
Girl's mother. Loving, generous, and idealistic.
Gender: female
Bank Manager
Corporate on the outside, but artistic on the inside. Plays guitar and cello.
Gender: male
Vocal range top: B4
Vocal range bottom: G3
Da
Guy's father. A caring man who loves his son.
Gender: male
Vocal range top: E4
Vocal range bottom: G3
Svec
Girl's quirky roommate. Plays drums and guitar.
Gender: male
Andrej
Girl's roommate. A big dreamer. Plays guitar and bass.
Gender: male
Vocal range top: F#4
Vocal range bottom: A3
Eamon
A Dublin music studio manager. Plays guitar and piano.
Gender: male
Emcee
Host of an open mic at a Dublin pub. Plays guitar.
Gender: male
Vocal range top: D4
Vocal range bottom: C3
Ex-Girlfriend
Guy's ex-girlfriend. Wanting a better life, she's moved from Dublin to New York. Plays violin.
Gender: female
Ivonka
Girl's daughter.
Gender: female
Inspiration
Once, a musical with a book by Irish playwright Enda Walsh and a score by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, is a stage adaptation of the 2007 musical film of the same name. The film is a naturalistic drama that stars Hansard and Irglov (for which they wrote all the music, as well) and tells the story of an Irish man who falls for a young Czech woman. The song, "Falling Slowly," won an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Going along with the resounding theme of music that exists throughout, the actors in Once doubly functions as the orchestra, picking up a variety of instruments to play throughout the show.
Productions
Once premiered at the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge, MA. It then moved to the New York Theatre Workshop in New York City, where it opened on December 6, 2011. The production only ran until January 15, 2012, but its success in its limited run prompted a Broadway transfer. It opened on Broadway at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on March 18, 2012. A North American national tour launched in Providence, Rhode Island, on October 1, 2013.
Once has also made an impact internationally. The musical made its West End debut at the Phoenix Theatre on April 9, 2013, after a limited engagement at the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin. The Melbourne Theatre Company put up the Australia premiere on September 26, 2014. On February 10, 2015, a "sit down" production of Once opened at the Ed Mirvish Theatre in Toronto, featuring an entirely Canadian cast.
Trivia
- The Off-Broadway production of Once was nominated for seven Lucille Lortel Awards, including Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Director and Outstanding Choreographer. It also won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Musical.
- The Broadway production of Once was nominated for eleven Tony Awards in 2012, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Choreography and Best Direction of a Musical. It was also nominated for six Drama Desk Awards (including Outstanding Musical, Music, Lyrics and Director of a Musical), as well as Drama League and New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards for Best Musical. The album for the Broadway production also won a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album in 2013.
- The West End production of Once was nominated for six Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical, Outstanding Achievement in Music and Best Theatre Choreographer. It was also nominated for five Whatsonstage.com Awards, including Best New Musical, Best Original Music and Best Director.
- Celebrities who have appeared in Once include: Cristin Milioti (Girl), Arthur Darvill (Guy), Steve Kazee (Guy), Elizabeth A. David (Reza), David Patrick Kelly (Da), Paul Whitty (Billy) and Joanna Christie (Girl).
"Once uses song and dance in a way I've never experienced in an American musical (even if its sound will be familiar to alternative radio listeners): to convey a beautiful shimmer of might-have-been regret. ...What lends a special, tickling poignancy to Mr. Hansard and Ms. Irglova's songs is their acceptance of loneliness as an existential given."
– The New York Times
"Pure, moving and inventive... a study in how to beautifully adapt a movie to the stage. In many ways, in fact, this Once is better than the original Once."
– The Huffington Post
"It is a rare feat... to express such unabashed romantic feeling, such yearning emotion, without stooping to sentiment or wallowing in cliche."
– The Chicago Tribune
"Wins you over with its simplicity, charm and air of sweet melancholy."
– The Guardian
"The sweetest and most romantic show on Broadway.... Book writer Enda Walsh found smart ways to expand the narrative."
– New York Daily News
"A gem of a show. ...Once wins its standing ovations the old-fashioned way: with a love story, great songs, compelling characters and inventive stagecraft.... downright revolutionary."
– The New York Post
"Unusually fun and heartfelt musical theatre."
– The New Yorker
"A love story played with fierce sincerity and unexpected honesty."
– The Wall Street Journal
"Wonderful music! ...Raw and real and better than anything you're likely to hear in the theater all season."
– TIME Magazine
"Pure, moving, invention and irresistible. ...Once makes a lasting connection."
– The Associated Press
"Gorgeous. ...Once charms us with a rare combination of intelligence, warmth and musicality."
– Bloomberg News
"An exquisite reminder of theater's singular capacity to transport us."
– The Hollywood Reporter
Inspiration
Once, a musical with a book by Irish playwright Enda Walsh and a score by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, is a stage adaptation of the 2007 musical film of the same name. The film is a naturalistic drama that stars Hansard and Irglov (for which they wrote all the music, as well) and tells the story of an Irish man who falls for a young Czech woman. The song, "Falling Slowly," won an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Going along with the resounding theme of music that exists throughout, the actors in Once doubly functions as the orchestra, picking up a variety of instruments to play throughout the show.
Productions
Once premiered at the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge, MA. It then moved to the New York Theatre Workshop in New York City, where it opened on December 6, 2011. The production only ran until January 15, 2012, but its success in its limited run prompted a Broadway transfer. It opened on Broadway at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on March 18, 2012. A North American national tour launched in Providence, Rhode Island, on October 1, 2013.
Once has also made an impact internationally. The musical made its West End debut at the Phoenix Theatre on April 9, 2013, after a limited engagement at the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin. The Melbourne Theatre Company put up the Australia premiere on September 26, 2014. On February 10, 2015, a "sit down" production of Once opened at the Ed Mirvish Theatre in Toronto, featuring an entirely Canadian cast.
Trivia
- The Off-Broadway production of Once was nominated for seven Lucille Lortel Awards, including Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Director and Outstanding Choreographer. It also won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Musical.
- The Broadway production of Once was nominated for eleven Tony Awards in 2012, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Choreography and Best Direction of a Musical. It was also nominated for six Drama Desk Awards (including Outstanding Musical, Music, Lyrics and Director of a Musical), as well as Drama League and New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards for Best Musical. The album for the Broadway production also won a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album in 2013.
- The West End production of Once was nominated for six Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical, Outstanding Achievement in Music and Best Theatre Choreographer. It was also nominated for five Whatsonstage.com Awards, including Best New Musical, Best Original Music and Best Director.
- Celebrities who have appeared in Once include: Cristin Milioti (Girl), Arthur Darvill (Guy), Steve Kazee (Guy), Elizabeth A. David (Reza), David Patrick Kelly (Da), Paul Whitty (Billy) and Joanna Christie (Girl).
"Once uses song and dance in a way I've never experienced in an American musical (even if its sound will be familiar to alternative radio listeners): to convey a beautiful shimmer of might-have-been regret. ...What lends a special, tickling poignancy to Mr. Hansard and Ms. Irglova's songs is their acceptance of loneliness as an existential given."
– The New York Times
"Pure, moving and inventive... a study in how to beautifully adapt a movie to the stage. In many ways, in fact, this Once is better than the original Once."
– The Huffington Post
"It is a rare feat... to express such unabashed romantic feeling, such yearning emotion, without stooping to sentiment or wallowing in cliche."
– The Chicago Tribune
"Wins you over with its simplicity, charm and air of sweet melancholy."
– The Guardian
"The sweetest and most romantic show on Broadway.... Book writer Enda Walsh found smart ways to expand the narrative."
– New York Daily News
"A gem of a show. ...Once wins its standing ovations the old-fashioned way: with a love story, great songs, compelling characters and inventive stagecraft.... downright revolutionary."
– The New York Post
"Unusually fun and heartfelt musical theatre."
– The New Yorker
"A love story played with fierce sincerity and unexpected honesty."
– The Wall Street Journal
"Wonderful music! ...Raw and real and better than anything you're likely to hear in the theater all season."
– TIME Magazine
"Pure, moving, invention and irresistible. ...Once makes a lasting connection."
– The Associated Press
"Gorgeous. ...Once charms us with a rare combination of intelligence, warmth and musicality."
– Bloomberg News
"An exquisite reminder of theater's singular capacity to transport us."
– The Hollywood Reporter
Billing
Requirements
(100%)
|
Book by
ENDA WALSH
(50%)
|
Music & Lyrics by
GLEN HANSARD & MARKÉTA IRGLOVÁ
(50%)
|
Barbara Broccoli John N. Hart Jr. Patrick Milling Smith Frederick Zollo
Brian Carmody Michael G. Wilson Orin Wolf The Shubert Organization
Robert Cole, Executive Producer
New York Theatre Workshop
Diane Paulus, Artistic Director, Diane Borger, Producer
Video Warning
The videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibitedIncluded Materials
| Resource | Quantity |
|---|---|
| FULL SCORE | 1 |
| LIBRETTO/VOCAL BOOK | 16 |
| PIANO VOCAL SCORE | 2 |