Toronto's ONCE Announces Final Extension at Ed Mirvish Theatre

David Mirvish is extending for the final time the Toronto production of the Tony Award-winning 'Best Musical' ONCE. The production, which began performances at the Ed Mirvish Theatre on February 10, 2015, will now play until June 28. But the show must leave the Ed Mirvish Theatre on that day because Disney's production of NEWSIES moves into the venue the following week.

Tickets for the extension are now on sale online Mirvish.com and by phone at 416-872-1212 or 1-800-461-3333. Ticket prices range from $29 to $130.

By the time ONCE closes, it will have played 20 weeks for a total of 160 performances. The production has employed over 200 people - in the cast, behind the scenes, and in the front of house of the theatre. It is estimated that by June 28, it will have generated an economic spinoff to the local economy of over $100 million.

The All-Canadian cast features IAN LAKE as Guy and TRISH LINDSTRÖM as Girl. STEPHANIE CADMAN as Ex-Girlfriend, NATHANCARROLL as Andrej, DONNA GARNER as Baruska, EMILY LUKASIK as Reza, JON-ALEX MACFARLANE as Bank Manager, BRANDON MCGIBBON as Svec, STEPHEN GUY-MCGRATH as Billy, LAURIE MURDOCH as Da, BRENDAN WALL as Eamon, JEREMY WALMSLEY as Emcee, BENJAMIN CAMENZULI, GABI EPSTEIN, JEFF HAMACHER, JUSTIN RAISEBECK, ALICIA TONER and SEANA-LEE WOOD. SCARLETT ROSE BILDFELL and EVA GREIG alternate in the role of Ivanka.

Toronto first fell in love with ONCE in December 2013, when the first touring company of the Tony Award-winning musical played here for a limited run; a critical and popular hit, it sold out every single seat during its six-week run. The Toronto Star called ONCE "a perfect illustration of the magic that musical theatre at its best is capable of." The Globe and Mail awarded it four stars, its highest rating.

It was the audience demand in Toronto that convinced David Mirvish to launch a Canadian, sit-down production of the musical.

Set in modern day Dublin, ONCE tells the story of Guy, an Irish musician who has given up on his music-and his love-and Girl, a Czech immigrant who inspires him to dream again. 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.

ONCE is based on the 2007 Academy Award-winning film of the same name, written and directed by John Carney, and starring Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, who also wrote the original music and lyrics.

The stage adaptation is brought to life by an award-winning team of visionary artists: book by award-winning Irish playwright & screenwriter, Enda Walsh (Penelope, Hunger, The New Electric Ballroom); directionby the acclaimed Scottish director of Black Watch, John Tiffany; movement by Steven Hoggett (Black Watch, American Idiot); and music supervision and orchestrations by Martin Lowe (Mamma Mia!). The set and costume design are by five-time Tony Award winner Bob Crowley (The Coast of Utopia, Mary Poppins), lighting design is by Tony winner Natasha Katz (Aida, The Coast of Utopia), and sound design is by Clive Goodwin.

ONCE was originally developed at the American Repertory Theater (Cambridge, Massachusetts) in April 2011.

A developmental run of ONCE played in November 2011 to January 2012 at New York Theatre Workshop.

ONCE opened on Broadway on March 18. 2012, produced by Barbara Broccoli, John N. Hart Jr., Patrick Milling Smith, Frederick Zollo, Brian Carmody, Michael G. Wilson, Orin Wolf, The Shubert Organization and Executive Producer Robert Cole, in association with New York Theatre Workshop.

The production won eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical. It also won Best Musical from the New York Drama Critics' Circle, Drama Desk, Drama League, Outer Critic Circle and Lucille Lortel Awards. The original cast recording won the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

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