Stuart Ward News

Once/book by Enda Walsh/music & lyrics by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova/directed by John Tiffany/Pantages Theatre/through August 10

ONCE, winner of eight Tony Awards including Best Musical and winner of the 2013 GRAMMY Award for Best Musical Theater Album, is celebrating its Hollywood Pantages Premiere with a limited four-week engagement tonight, July 15 through August 10, 2014. Opening Night is Thursday, July 17th at 8pm.

ONCE, winner of eight Tony Awards including Best Musical and winner of the 2013 GRAMMY Award for Best Musical Theater Album, is celebrating its Hollywood Pantages Premiere with a limited four-week engagement; July 15 through August 10, 2014. Opening Night is Thursday, July 17th at 8pm.

This Summer, Orange County, CA---which includes Costa Mesa, Fullerton, Santa Ana, Irvine, and even cities just a hop over the county line like La Mirada and Long Beach---is so chock-full of hot stage goodies, that you may have to earmark a lot more time in the next three months to properly satisfy all your theatrical cravings. Here's our Top 5 Summer Must-See picks, plus a few other noteworthy shows to check out around the area, too!

We all know the annoying trend of turning every well-regarded or sellable movie into a Broadway Musical. Do we really need a stage version of the popular film especially when that film is pretty much a musical already such as with the indie sleeper hit "Once"? Well, I don't know if we need it but in this case I'm actually glad we have it as they have taken this lovely romance and just simply let it be told through it's gorgeous music and some very simple staging and the result is a great big sigh (and maybe even a few tears) at the end of a truly entertaining evening.

Once, the 2012 Tony Award winner for Best musical, is one of the most nontraditional musicals to come along in quite some time. Based on the Academy Award winning film of the same name, Once opened on Broadway in 2012 to strong reviews and the momentum continued to build to a Tony win and the launching of a national tour. Once played in Des Moines last week and, based upon the reception, will be welcome back anytime in the future.

ONCE, the Oscar-winning film ("Falling Slowly"), has a lot of qualities to it that don't immediately make you think it should transition well to the stage. It's a simple story that deals mostly with two main characters, and it doesn't have an "in your face" type of score, or mood about it. And yet, somehow writer Enda Walsh (book) is able to maintain that intimate intensity without sacrificing its charms. It helps that Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova have crafted a subtle, but fine collection of tunes that really work well to assist in telling the story, even on a big stage. The current production gracing the Fox Theatre is wonderfully directed (John Tiffany), and makes for a perfect "date night" out. This Tony Award winner is deserved of its praise and delivers must-see entertainment.

Falling slowly into a relationship with ONCE and its quirky characters stirred memories in the hearts and minds of lost loves and fleeting past moments. Catching this show at Minneapolis' Orpheum should be done pretty quickly with the run ending April 6.

This Saint Patrick's Day weekend, skip the riots and go see the national tour of the little musical that could, for a tribute to the modern Irish tradition of producing great singer-songwriters.

Once, winner of eight Tony Awards including Best Musical and winner of the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, makes its Minneapolis premiere at Hennepin Theatre Trust's Orpheum Theatre, April 1-6, 2014. Tickets for Once are on sale now. Once is presented by Hennepin Theatre Trust as part of its Broadway Season. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit HennepinTheatreTrust.org or call 1.800.982.2787.

ONCE, winner of eight Tony Awards including Best Musical and winner of the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, will play the Benedum Center for a limited engagement from today, March 11 through Sunday, March 16, 2014. ONCE is part of the PNC Broadway Across America-Pittsburgh series, presented by The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Broadway Across America and Pittsburgh Symphony.

The cast is brilliantly talented....Every member acts, sings, dances. AND plays an instrument. And sometimes they do ALL at the same time! BRAVO! The show gives us all hope and promise and a perfect Valentine reminder: 'What can be more important than Love'... GO SEE THIS WONDERFUL SHOW!

ONCE, winner of eight Tony Awards including Best Musical and winner of the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, will play the Benedum Center for a limited engagement from Tuesday, March 11 through Sunday, March 16, 2014. ONCE is part of the PNC Broadway Across America-Pittsburgh series, presented by The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Broadway Across America and Pittsburgh Symphony.

ONCE, winner of eight Tony Awards including Best Musical and winner of the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, will play the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County for a limited engagement from tonight, February 4 through February 9, 2014. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the show!

The original film won an Academy Award, the Broadway show won eight Tony Awards, and now Once has come to the Triangle, spending this week at the Durham Performing Arts Center.

ONCE, winner of eight Tony Awards including Best Musical and winner of the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, will play the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County for a limited engagement from February 4 through February 9, 2014. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the show!

Now that New Year's Eve celebrations are behind us, my favorite time of the theatre year is upon us. In late winter and early spring, theaters all around Houston start unveiling their upcoming seasons, in hopes of keeping current season subscribers and gaining new ones. Kicking off this annual season of unveiling is Gexa Energy's Broadway at the Hobby Center 2014-2015 Season announcement.

The national tour of ONCE, the 2012 Tony Award-winner for Best Musical, roars into the Boston Opera House with a baker's dozen cast of talented actor/musicians under the direction of Tony Award-winner John Tiffany. Based on the motion picture, the autobiographical story of musicians Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova captures the glorious intensity of one week that changed both of their lives forever with the help of friends, family, love, and music.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. It's the Mosh Pit's 'Top Ten Hot Topix' for the second half of 2013!!

Voting is now underway for Chicago! We have a record number of votes in already, but if you haven't voted yet, click here to vote! If you have voted already, tell your friends.