The national tour of “Once,” winner of the 2012 Tony Award for Best Musical and the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album, will make a stop at the WVU Creative Arts Center Feb. 15. Showtime is set for 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at the Mountainlair and Creative Arts Center box offices, online at Ticketmaster.com, and by phone at 800-745-3000 and 304-293-SHOW (7469).
“Once,” the celebrated new musical based on the Academy Award-winning film, tells the story of an Irish musician and a Czech immigrant drawn together by their shared love of music. Over the course of one fateful week, their unexpected friendship and collaboration evolves into a powerful but complicated romance, heightened by the raw emotion of the songs they create together. Brought to the stage by an award-winning team of visionary artists and featuring an ensemble cast of gifted actor/musicians, “Once” is a musical celebration of life and love: thrilling in its originality, daring in its honesty and unforgettable in every way.
The cast will feature Sam Cieri as “Guy” and Mackenzie Lesser-Roy as “Girl,” along with Patricia Bartlett, Jenn Chandler, Barry DeBois, Nyssa
Duchow, Liam Fennecken, Lynn Flickinger, Marlene Ginader, Isaac Haas, John Hays, Julia Hoffmann, Angel Lin, Tom McGovern, Bristol Pomeroy, Adam Huel Potter, Theodora Silverman, Dan Tracy, Grant Alan Watkins and Luke Wygodny.
“Once” features the Academy Award-winning music and lyrics of Glen Hansard and Mark�ta Irglov�; a book by award-winning Irish playwright & screenwriter, Enda Walsh (“Penelope,” “Hunger,” “The New Electric Ballroom”); direction by the acclaimed Scottish director of “Black Watch,” John Tiffany; movement by Steven Hoggett (“Black Watch,” “American Idiot”); and music supervision and orchestrations by Martin Lowe (“Mamma Mia!”). The set and costume design are by five-time Tony Award winner Bob Crowley (“The Coast of Utopia,” “Mary Poppins”); lighting design is by Tony winner Natasha Katz (“Aida,” “The Coast of Utopia”); and sound design is by Clive Goodwin.
“Once” was also named Best Musical by the New York Drama Critics’ Circle, Drama Desk, Drama League, Outer Critics Circle and the Lucille Lortel Awards. The production ran for more than 1,100 performances on Broadway with acclaimed international productions from London and Melbourne to Japan and South Korea.
The 2007 Academy Award-winning film, “Once,” was written and directed by John Carney, and starred Glen Hansard and Mark�ta Irglov�, with original music and lyrics by Hansard and Irglov�.
The Oscar winning independent Irish film, “Once,” was made for $150,000. Shot in 17 days, it went on to gross $20 million worldwide becoming a critically-acclaimed international smash. It starred Glen Hansard, from the popular Irish Rock band The Frames, and Mark�ta Irglov�. Glen and Mark�ta won the 2007 Academy Award for Best Original song for “Falling Slowly,” the Los Angeles Film Critics Award for Best Music, and the soundtrack was nominated for two Grammy Awards.
Tickets range from $44 to $60, depending on location. WVU Student tickets are $23. Tickets are on sale now at the Mountainlair and Creative Arts Center box offices, online at Ticketmaster.com, and by phone at 800-745-3000 and 304-293-SHOW (7469). The WVU Student discount is only available at the campus box offices and is limited to one discounted ticket per valid WVU I.D.
This event is part of the University Toyota University Arts Series produced by WVU Arts & Entertainment. For additional information, call 304-293-SHOW (7469), or visit events.wvu.edu. Stay connected with the latest event updates on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by following @wvuevents.
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CONTACT: Kristie Stewart-Gale, WVU Arts & Entertainment
304-293-8221, kristie.stewart-gale@mail.wvu.edu
Follow @WVUToday on Twitter.