CCA stages Tony Award-winning best musical ‘Once’

“Once,” a Tony Award-winning best musical, will be performed at the Collins Center for the Arts at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7.

The winner of eight Tony Awards in 2012 is about an Irish musician who plays at local pubs at night and repairs vacuums in a Dublin shop during the day. Guy is about to give up his music career when Girl, a Czech immigrant, hears him play his guitar and refuses to let him quit. Guy and Girl record a demo album and their friendship evolves into a powerful, complicated love story.

“Once,” which also won the 2013 Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album, doesn’t utilize an orchestra pit; the actors/musicians play instruments onstage.

“Once in a blue moon, perhaps once a decade or so, a new Broadway musical breaks the rules, challenges expectations and delights audiences with something they didn’t realize they were longing for,” writes The Columbus Dispatch. “‘Once’ is that musical.”

The musical is a stage adaptation of the award-winning 2007 film of the same name that was shot in 17 days for $150,000 and starred Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová. The Broadway show ran for 1,100 performances. Acclaimed international productions also have been performed in London, Melbourne, Japan and South Korea.

Tickets are $33, $42, $54 and $64; group rates are not available for this show. Tickets and more information are available online. Also for tickets or to request an accommodation, call 207.581.1755.