Twelve Actor-Musicians Play Over Twenty Instruments In Once At Northern Stage

With book by Enda Walsh, music and lyrics by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, and based on the motion picture written and directed by John Carney, Once runs live on stage at the Barrette Center for the Arts in White River Junction, VT April 10 - May 19. For tickets and information, call (802) 296-7000 or visit northernstage.org. Tickets start at $19 for students and $34 for adults.

Winner of eight Tony Awards, Once transports audiences to Dublin, where a struggling street musician meets a beautiful young woman who is captivated by his haunting love songs. With Oscar-winning melodies, Once features an ensemble of actor-musicians whose instruments are artfully woven into the choreography of the show. Directed by Northern Stage's Producing Artistic Director Carol Dunne (Northern Stage: Dear Elizabeth, Disgraced, Only Yesterday, Mamma Mia!, Trick or Treat, among others). "Once is a stunning musical and a complete joy to direct. Different from other Broadway musicals, actor-musicians play the entire score while also portraying all of the roles in this beautiful love story. This show is about the importance of our dreams and how sometimes it takes just one person believing in us to make our dreams come true," says Dunne.

Thom Miller (Northern Stage: Dear Elizabeth, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Mad Love; Off-Broadway: Camp Wanatachi, Mental: The Musical), Tommy Crawford (Northern Stage: Only Yesterday; Weston Playhouse: Million Dollar Quartet), Stephen Lee Anderson (Northern Stage: Macbeth; 11 Broadway productions including Spider-Man, Julius Caesar, The Crucible), and Dorothy Stanley (Northern Stage: Mary Poppins, A Christmas Carol, Into the Woods; 17 Broadway productions) return to Northern Stage for this production. Northern Stage welcomes newcomers Lily Talevski, Nick Moulton, Rachel Mulcahy, Seth Eliser, Katie Fay Francis, and Adam Huel Potter. The production also features local students Daria Ballou and Paige Falcone as well as the star of recent production Buyer & Cellar, Northern Stage's Director of Education Eric Love.

The creative team is completed by Robbie Cowan (Music Director), Kyle Brand (Choreographer), Alexander Woodward (Scenic Designer), Allison Crutchfield (Costume Designer), Travis McHale (Lighting Designer), Kevin Heard (Sound Designer), Dale Coye (Dialect Coach), Brian R. Sekinger (Production Stage Manager), Ciara Allinder (1st Assistant Stage Manager), Kyla Mermejo-Varga (2nd Assistant Stage Manager), and Jess Johnston (AEA Assistant Stage Manager).

To celebrate music in the Upper Valley, Northern Stage invites local artists to perform for patrons prior to Once performances. Open-mics will be hosted in the lobby or on the patio from Friday, April 12 through Sunday, May 19. There is no cover charge to perform, and artists are welcome to accept tips from patrons. Performers can call the Box Office at (802) 296-7000 for more information and to sign up.

A complimentary post-show reception with the company follows the opening night performance on Saturday, April 13. An optional post-show conversation will follow evening performances on Saturday, April 20 and Sunday, April 28.

The 2018-19 Season is underwritten by Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital. Once is sponsored by Chippers, Mascoma Bank, and White Mountains Insurance. $19 Student Tickets and $5 Access for All tickets (for EBT card holders) are available for any performance. Adult ticket prices range from $34 - $59.

Northern Stage (northernstage.org) is a regional non-profit LORT-D professional theater company located in White River Junction, VT. Northern Stage actively engages its audiences with world-class productions and extensive educational and outreach programs in its new home, the Barrette Center for the Arts. Founded in 1997, the company has offered more than 150 professional productions of new works, classics, and musicals. Now in its 22nd Season, Northern Stage serves over 50,000 people. In 2014, the company launched a new play festival that has cultivated five world premiere productions and two Off-Broadway transfers. A robust educational program focuses on professional training in a nurturing and supportive environment for students of all ages. Offerings include student acting ensembles, a summer musical theater intensive, and an expansive theater-in-the-schools residency program. Northern Stage's breadth of programming supports the company's mission to "change lives, one story at a time."