STAGE TUBE: Nearly 1,000 Guitarists Play ONCE's 'Falling Slowly' in Toronto

On April 23, 2015, an historic event took place at the Ed Mirvish Theatre. Around midday, 926 people with guitars packed the orchestra level of the theatre and together with cast members of ONCE performed the show's Oscar-winning song, "Falling Slowly." Click below to watch the magical moment!

Young and old, professional and amateur, students and doctors and lawyers and teachers and clergy, all were brought together by the magic and power of music. Just as the characters in ONCE are transformed through music, so too was this diverse crowd of people.

Led by the show's leading man, Ian Lake, and conducted by Brandon McGibbon, who plays Švec, the crowd performed the song three times. To hear their beautiful playing and singing sent shivers up the spines of all listening. To paraphrase the song's lyrics, they raised hopeful voices and made it now. Falling slowly, they sang the melody and we all sung along.

ONCE continues performances at the Ed Mirvish Theatre until June 28, 2015, when it must close to make way for the next show in the venue, the touring production of Disney's NEWSIES.

The all-Canadian cast features IAN LAKE as Guy and TRISH LINDSTRÖM as Girl. STEPHANIE CADMAN as Ex-Girlfriend, NATHANCARROLL as Andrej, DONNA GARNER as Baruska, EMILY LUKASIK as Reza, JON-ALEX MACFARLANE as Bank Manager, BRANDON MCGIBBON as Svec, STEPHEN GUY-MCGRATH as Billy, LAURIE MURDOCH as Da, BRENDAN WALL as Eamon, JEREMY WALMSLEY as Emcee, BENJAMIN CAMENZULI, GABI EPSTEIN, JEFF HAMACHER, JUSTIN RAISEBECK, ALICIA TONER and SEANA-LEE WOOD. SCARLETT ROSE BILDFELL and EVA GREIG alternate in the role of Ivanka.

Set in modern day Dublin, ONCE tells the story of Guy, an Irish musician who has given up on his music-and his love-and Girl, a Czech immigrant who inspires him to dream again. 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.

ONCE is based on the 2007 Academy Award-winning film of the same name, written and directed by John Carney, and starring Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, who also wrote the original music and lyrics.