Once: new musical announces creative team

Smuggler Films partners, John N. Hart & Patrick Milling Smith and film and theatre producers, Fred Zollo and Barbara Broccoli & Michael G Wilson have announced the creative team for upcoming stage adaptation of the 2007 Academy Award-winning film Once, coming to Broadway in Fall 2011.

The musical will feature the Academy Award-winning music and lyrics of Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, a book by award-winning Irish playwright & screenwriter, Enda Walsh (Penelope,' Hunger, The New Electric Ballroom), direction by the acclaimed Scottish director of Black Watch, John Tiffany, design by five time Tony Award winner Bob Crowley (The Coast of Utopia, Mary Poppins). Steven Hoggett (American Idiot, Black Watch) will provide musical staging and Martin Lowe (Mamma Mia!) is the music director.

A pre-Broadway workshop presentation of the musical will take place in late Apr and early May 2011 at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, MA.

Producer John N. Hart said, "In recent years, Enda Walsh, John Tiffany, Bob Crowley, and Steven Hoggett have been responsible for some of the most groundbreaking theatre in New York and around the world. It's a dream come true to have them all working together to bring Once to the stage."

Producer Barbara Broccoli said, "The power and the heart of Once turned a small-budget, independent Irish film into an international, award-winning sensation. When I first saw the film, I was blown away by the score, but also by the theatricality of the piece. I'm so thrilled to be involved with the continuing fairy tale that is Once."

The 2007 Academy Award-winning film, Once, was written and directed by John Carney, and starred Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, with original music and lyrics by Hansard and Irglová.

Once is a modern day musical set on the streets of Dublin about a street musician and a Czech immigrant. During an eventful week the two meet, begin writing songs together, rehearse and record their songs to take to London in hopes of landing a music contract. Through the music they write, the duo works through their past loves, and are confronted with their new feelings for each other.

Once writer/director John Carney asked Glen Hansard, his bandmate from the popular Irish Rock band The Frames, to share his busker anecdotes as well as compose songs for a film he was working on about street musicians. When the lead actor withdrew from the project, Glen stepped into the role opposite first time actress Markéta Irglová. The independent Irish film was made for under $150,000, was shot in 17 days, and went on to gross over $10,000,000, becoming a critically acclaimed international smash.

Glen and Markéta won the 2007 Academy Award for Best Original song for "Falling Slowly," the Los Angeles Film Critics Award for Best Music, and the soundtrack was nominated for two Grammy Awards. The duo has been on a highly successful worldwide tour performing music from the platinum selling film soundtrack.