ONCE is a love story that reminds us that music is a universal language that can express our most deeply felt joy, hopes and dreams as well as fears, disappointments, and, of course, affairs of the heart. This star of the 2012 Tony® Awards received 11 nominations and walked away with eight, including Best Musical. ONCE is based on the film written and directed by John Carney, with the book by Enda Walsh and award-winning music and lyrics of Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglova. Coachella Valley Repertory presents ONCE February 21-26 and February 28-March 5. Coachella Valley Repertory Executive Artistic Director Adam Karsten directs. Set design for this new production of ONCE is by Jimmy Cuomo, costume design by Sara Soto, lighting design by Moira Wilke, and the stage manager is John M. Gallo.
NY Times critic Ben Brantley wrote, “… what makes this musical really special and puts it in a different league to other offerings is the captivating, magic quality of the songs. Almost from the first note you realize you are listening to music that is extraordinary, distinctive, powerfully emotional and hugely affecting – in a word – stunning.” The remarkable collection of hit songs includes “Leave,” “Falling Slowly,” “Say It To Me Now,” “When Your Mind’s Made Up,” “Gold,” and, of course, the titular hit song, “ONCE.”
ONCE tells the story of Guy, a young Irishman who dreams of success as a songwriter, but spends his days depressed about the breakup with his girlfriend and fixing vacuums in his father’s Dublin shop. When on the verge of giving up his hopes, along comes a girl who is an immigrant from Czechoslovakia. She convinces him to believe in the power of his music and his love for the woman who inspired it. ONCE takes you on a heartfelt, powerful, and thoroughly entertaining journey as Guy and the girl enlist a motley crew of bar friends to record a demo album and rekindle dreams.
Performances of ONCE are Tuesdays through Sundays, February 21-March 5, 2023. Curtain time for Wednesdays through Saturday evening performances is 7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m. Audiences Free Talkback Thursdays are held after every Thursday performance, offering audience members the opportunity to discuss the plays with the directors and casts.
Single tickets for ONCE are on sale now. Single tickets are $58, $63 and $73. Tickets are also available for HAND TO GOD (March 28-April 9, 2023). They may be ordered online at www.cvrep.org, by calling (760) 296-2966, ext. 115, or at the CVRep box office located at 68510 East Palm Canyon Dr., Cathedral City. Box office hours are Monday-Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and two hours prior to performances. Group tickets are available and can be arranged by calling the box office. To better serve audiences, patrons requesting accessibility assistance are encouraged to contact the box office at least 24 hours prior to their ticketed performance.