Like the film, music and lyrics were by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, including the Academy Award-winning "Falling Slowly".

The production received eleven 2012 Tony Award nominations, and won eight including Best Musical, Best Actor and Best Book.

Under the direction of John Tiffany, the original cast was led by Steve Kazee and Cristin Milioti as Guy and Girl, respectively.

[4] The musical then began previews on Broadway at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre from 28 February 2012 and officially opening on 18 March.

Producers were Barbara Broccoli, John N. Hart Jr., Patrick Milling-Smith, Frederick Zollo, Brian Carmody, Michael G. Wilson, and Orin Wolf.

[citation needed] A non-Equity North American national tour started in January 2016 in Utica, New York,[14] and ran through April 2017, starring Sam Cieri and Mackenzie Lesser-Roy, who would go on to reprise the role of Girl in SpeakEasy Stage Company's 2019 production in Boston.

[25] After the success of the previous Korean production, cast members comprised from the Dublin, London, Australian and Canadian Once companies played on The Charlotte Theatre from 22 September to 1 November.

The show was directed by Richard Carroll and starred Toby Francis as Guy, Stefanie Caccamo as Girl and Victoria Falconer as Reza and the musical director.

[29][30] This production (locally translated Una vez en la vida) debuted in Buenos Aires at the Metropolitan Sura Theatre on 12 April 2019 and starring Eliseo Barrionuevo and Paula Reca.

[citation needed] In June 2019 it was announced that Once will embark on its first ever UK Tour featuring Daniel Healy as Guy and Emma Lucia as Girl.

He then puts his guitar in its case and turns to leave without it but a young Czech woman (identified only as "Girl"), who has been listening to him sing approaches.

She asks numerous personal questions about his songs and he replies that he wrote most of them for a girlfriend who broke up with him and moved to New York City.

He is giving up on his music because the memories of his failed relationship are too painful so he now works as a vacuum cleaner repairman in his father's shop.

Guy brushes this off but Girl reminds him that he now owes her a vacuum repair so they head to his father's shop ("The North Strand").

Girl remains at the piano, and thinking she is alone, plays one of her own compositions that reveals the depth of her feelings for Guy ("The Hill").

Incredulous, Guy asks why and Girl replies that her husband – Ivanka's father – is trying to reconcile with her and for the sake of their daughter she must consider it ("It Cannot Be About That").

The following morning the band gathers at the hill to voice their hopes for success with the impending album ("Gold (A Cappella)").

Guy asks Girl to spend his last night in Dublin with him but she demurs, because it would only result in "hanky-panky", which is a "bad idea"; but ultimately she agrees to come to the vacuum shop.

Then Guy, encouraged by Girl, calls his ex-girlfriend in New York, who is happy about his imminent arrival, and seems willing to give their relationship another try.

The script is now steeped in wise and folksy observations about committing to love and taking chances, most of which are given solemn and thickly accented utterance by Girl (played by Cristin Milioti), who is Czech.

Guy, played by Steve Kazee, has been transformed from a shaggy nerd into a figure of leading-man handsomeness, while Girl has turned into a full-fledged version of what she only threatened to be in the film: a kooky, life-affirming waif who is meant to be irresistible ...

The songs (written by Mr. Hansard and Ms. Irglová) soar with rough-edged, sweet-and-sad ambivalence that is seldom visited in contemporary American musicals.

Yet on Broadway – at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theater to be exact, where Once opened on Sunday night – what is essentially the same production feels as vital and surprising as the early spring that has crept up on Manhattan.

"In reviewing the West End production for London Theatre Guide Peter Brown describes the show's key to success as lying in the songs of Hansard and Irglová:[37]"what makes this musical really special and puts it in a different league to other offerings is the captivating, magical quality of the songs.

Almost from the first note, you realise you are listening to music that is extraordinarily distinctive, powerfully emotional and hugely affecting – in a word...