Actors play their own instruments to bring the story of 'Once' to life

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – "Once," the winner of eight Tony Awards, including best musical, and winner of the 2013 Grammy Award for best musical theater album, on April21 will bring an original Broadway experience to Purdue University's Elliott Hall of Music.

This 7:30 p.m. performance is presented by Purdue Convocations with Friends support from Westminster Village and Kettelhut Construction, Inc.

"Once" is the new musical based on the Academy Award-winning 2007 film. It tells the story of an Irish musician and a Czech immigrant drawn together by their shared love of music. Over the course of one week, their unexpected friendship and collaboration evolves into a complicated romance, heightened by the emotion of the songs they create together.

The production features the Academy Award-winning music and lyrics of Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová; a book by award-winning Irish playwright & screenwriter Enda Walsh; and direction by John Tiffany, who directed "Black Watch."

The 2007 Oscar winning independent Irish film and basis for the musical, "Once," was made for $150,000. Shot in 17 days, it went on to gross $20 million worldwide. It won the 2007 Academy Award for best original song for "Falling Slowly," the Los Angeles Film Critics Award for best music and the soundtrack was nominated for two Grammy Awards.

Tickets are $24-54 for adults and $24-40 for those 18 years and younger, Purdue students and Ivy Tech Lafayette students. Tickets are available at the Stewart Center box office at 765-494-3933 or 800-914-SHOW. Group tickets are also available to groups of 10 more. Call 765-496-1977 for more details or visit https://purdue.edu/convocations/group-sales/

Initiated in 1902, Purdue Convocations was one of the first professional performing arts presenters in the United States. Each year, Convocations offers the region 30-40 performances of widely varying genres. Purdue Convocations aims to promote frequent exposure to and familiarity with human cultural expression in a multitude of forms and media. 

Source: Abby Eddy, Purdue Convocations director of marketing, 765-494-9712, aeeddy@purdue.edu 

Note to Journalists: Publication-quality photos are available at http://www.convocations.org/press