Cast of Broadway's ONCE to Perform Traditional Irish Songs During Pre-Show this Week

The cast of the Tony and Grammy Award-winning Best musical Once will celebrate St. Patrick's Day all week from Tuesday, March 11 through Sunday, March 16.

The cast will perform from a special selection of traditional Irish songs during the show's pre-show. The schedule is as follows:

Tuesday, March 11
Home Boys Home
Whistle Daughter Whistle
The Leaving of Liverpool

Wednesday, March 12 matinee
Rocky Road to Dublin
Star of the County Down
Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye

Wednesday, March 12 evening
Lowlands of Holland
South Australia
Red Haired Mary

Thursday, March 14
Lanigan's Ball
Black Velvet Band
The Leaving of Liverpool

Friday, March 14
Easy and Slow/Morrison's Jig
Whiskey/Connemara
South Australia

Saturday, March 15 matinee
Rocky Road to Dublin
Black Velvet Band
Red Haired Mary

Saturday, March 15 evening
Home Boys Home
Whiskey/ Connemara
The Leaving of Liverpool

Sunday, March 16
Lowlands of Holland
Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye
South Australia

ONCE is based on the 2007 Academy Award-winning film and plays on Broadway at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre (242 West 45th Street). The production opened to rave reviews on Sunday, March 18, 2012.

ONCE won eight Tony Awards including Best Musical. The production was also named Best Musical by the New York Drama Critics Circle, Drama Desk, Drama League, Outer Critic Circle and Lucille Lortel Awards.

ONCE is the winner of the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

ONCE features a book by award-winning Irish playwright & screenwriter, Enda Walsh (Penelope, Hunger, The New Electric Ballroom), the Academy Award-winning music and lyrics of Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, direction by the acclaimed John Tiffany (Black Watch), movement by Steven Hoggett (Black Watch, American Idiot) and music supervision and orchestrations by Martin Lowe (Mamma Mia!).

The cast of Once features Paul Alexander Nolan as 'Guy' and Joanna Christie as 'Girl.' Also in the company are Adam Wesley Brown, Laurel Griggs, David Patrick Kelly, Katrina Lenk, Brandon McGibbon, Anne L. Nathan, Madeleine Pace, Andy Taylor, Carlos Valdes, Erikka Walsh, Paul Whitty, and J. Michael Zygo.

Joanna Christie is appearing with the support of Actors' Equity Association.

ONCE is now playing in London's West End at the Phoenix Theatre where it opened April 9, 2013 after premiering to critical acclaim in Dublin in February, 2013. The production just received six 2014 Olivier Award nominations. Once is also playing to rave reviews in cities around the country on a US national tour.

Featuring an impressive ensemble of actor/musicians who play their own instruments onstage, Once tells the enchanting tale of a Dublin street musician who's about to give up on his dream when a beautiful young woman takes a sudden interest in his haunting love songs. As the chemistry between them grows, his music soars to powerful new heights... but their unlikely connection turns out to be deeper and more complex than your everyday romance. Emotionally captivating and theatrically breathtaking, Once draws you in from the very first note and never lets go. It's an unforgettable story about going for your dreams and the power of music to connect us all.

The original cast recording of Once is available via MASTERWORKS BROADWAY, a label of Sony Masterworks. Visit www.MasterworksBroadway.com for more information.

Photo by Joan Marcus