Horizon Theatre Company Will Open Its 36th Season With ONCE

Horizon Theatre Company will open its 36th season with one of the most critically acclaimed musicals of recent history, Once. Recipient of eleven 2012 Tony Award nominations, and winner of eight including Best Musical, Best Actor and Best Book, Once is a musical based on the 2007 film of the same name by John Carney. Like the film, music and lyrics are by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, including the Academy Award-winning song "Falling Slowly." With book by Enda Walsh. Horizon Theatre Company's Atlanta premiere starts performances January 31 (Press Opening February 7, 2020) and runs until March 8, 2020 in Little Five Points/Inman Park (1083 Austin Avenue N.E., Atlanta, GA 30307). The show is directed by Horizon Theatre Artistic Associate Heidi McKerley, who directed the 2019 Horizon hit The Wolves. Musical direction is by Ed Thrower who recently led the creative team for Serenbe's production of Hair.

"With beautiful, soaring music, Once is a love story about two musicians from different cultures that takes place in one whirlwind week," says Co-Artistic Director Lisa Adler. "We have 9 amazing actor/musicians who sing, dance, and play multiple musical instruments - fiddle, mandolin, cello, piano, accordion, guitars, bass, percussion and more. With our in-the-round staging, you'll be surrounded by the streets of Dublin and the folk rock music of the show."

"Once is a remarkable theatrical experience of energy, movement, music and life that you absolutely cannot get on the screen," says director Heidi McKerley. "With the actor/musicians in and around the audience in our staging, you'll feel wrapped up in the music of the show and immersed in its energy."

On the streets of Dublin, an Irish musician and a Czech immigrant are drawn together by their shared love of music. Over the course of one fateful week, their unexpected friendship and collaboration evolves into a powerful but complicated romance, heightened by the raw emotion of the songs they create together. Featuring an ensemble cast of gifted actor/musicians, Once is a joyously uplifting show that strikes an unforgettable chord in audiences and speaks to the power of music to connect us all.

"The story is about how each of the characters in the play starts to live again," explains director Heidi McKerley. "They each start in a place where they feel stuck, and they each find a way to restart their lives."

The musical premiered at the New York Theatre Workshop in 2011 before transferring to Broadway in 2012. The production received eleven 2012 Tony Award nominations, and won eight including Best Musical, Best Actor and Best Book. The musical also won the 2012 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical and the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. In the musical, the cast also serves as the orchestra.

Music and lyrics are by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová. The two musicians had collaborated musically before co-starring in the movie, Once, a feature film about two musicians who fall in love. During the making of that movie, Hansard and Irglova fell in love in real life. They formed a band called The Swell Season and performed their music - some of it from the movie, some written after. They've remained friends after splitting both professionally and personally.

Headlining the cast is Chase Peacock starring as Guy, the Irish musician (original Broadway cast, American Idiot, Hairspray at City Springs and Jekyll and Hyde at Atlanta Lyric Theatre) and Maggie Salley as Girl, the Czech immigrant (Jekyll and Hyde, Atlanta Lyric Theatre and Footloose, Theatre Buford). The versatile ensemble includes Sophia Sapronov, a New York City actress making her regional debut as Reza in Once; Hayden Rowe as Andrej (Atlanta Lyric Theatre's productions of Jekyll and Hyde and Tarzan); Skyler Brown as Svec (roles at Aurora Theatre, Georgia Ensemble Theatre and Actor's Express shows including Merrily We Roll Along and The Wedding Singer), Paul Glaze as Bank Manager (Gainesville Theatre Alliance productions of Chiago, Ain't Misbehavin, and Blues in the Night), Daniel Burns as Billy (Ragtime at Serenbe Playhouse and 110 In the Shade at Theatrical Outfit), Jessica De Maria playing Baruska and Eamon (Falsettos and Sweeny Todd at Actor's Express and The Threepenny Opera at 7 Stages) and Chris Damiano as Da (Ring of Fire at Georgia Ensemble Theatre, and Sanders Family Christmas at Atlanta Lyric Theatre).

The design team includes Horizon resident set designers and multiple Suzi Award-winning Moriah and Isabel Curley-Clay, along with Horizon resident lighting designer Mary Parker with co-designer Connor McVey. The Curley-Clay sisters and Mary Parker have designed all of Horizon's productions for the past 7+ years. They are joined by sound designer Rob Brooksher (The Toxic Avenger, Nobody Loves You, Avenue Q at Horizon) and costume designer Amanda Edgerton West (Atlanta Lyric's Jekyl and Hyde).

ONCE will run at Horizon Theatre Company January 31 through March 8, 2020 (Press Opening: February 7, 2020. Performances are Wednesday through Sunday (Wednesday-Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., Sunday at 5 p.m). No matinee on Sat. Feb 1. Special Super Bowl Sunday time: 2pm on Feb. 2. Morning matinee at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 27.

Tickets start at $35 for weekdays and $40 for weekends. ($20 anytime full-time students under 25 with a valid student ID and $3 off full price tickets for seniors). Prices are subject to change and will rise as performances fill up. Patrons are encouraged to purchase tickets early for best prices. There is a reserved seating section for subscribers and major donors, general admission for others. Group discounts are available for parties of 10 or more. Horizon Theatre offers a lounge space available for rental for pre-show gatherings. Our intimate theatre is in the heart of Inman Park and Little Five Points at the corner of Euclid and Austin Avenues (1083 Austin Avenue N.E., Atlanta, GA 30307), and includes FREE parking. For tickets and information, visit horizontheatre.com or call 404.584.7450.

An onstage meet-and-greet with the actors, Community Conversations with special Guest Respondents, or special guest performances will take place following each performance.

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