Once at Chance Theater

On the Cripe Stage… 

Get ready to experience the heart and soul of Once! This intimate musical, based on the Academy Award-winning film, tells the story of a Dublin street musician and a Czech immigrant whose chance encounter sparks a week-long collaboration full of music, dreams, and unexpected connection. He’s trying to move on from heartbreak, she’s a bit of a mystery, and both are a bit stuck as they deal with their own pain and loss. But together, they create songs that capture the joy, struggle, and beauty of life, music that has the power to speak to their souls and offer some healing. This unlikely friendship blossoms into something powerful, complicated, and brings the possibility of something more…

An ensemble of actors play the hilarious and eclectic characters around them – parents, immigrants, a struggling shopowner, and more – Once shows how music can create unlikely community out of disparate people. Scored with evocative, emotionally charged music and performed live by the ensemble of actors themselves, Once is a raw, heartfelt, and joyous musical journey. It’s a must-see for anyone who has ever been swept away by stories of hope, connection, the transformative magic of music, and love. Don’t miss the chance to experience this celebrated, Tony Award-winning musical in a whole new way!

“The songs… soar with rough-edged, sweet-and-sad ambivalence that is seldom visited in contemporary American musicals.”The New York Times

“This is one of the must-see musicals of the early 21st century, a rare production that finds power in simplicity and emotion in restraint.”Stage and Cinema

“A beauty of a show… an unconventional piece of musical theater in both its form and sound.”WTTW News