Winner of eight Tony Awards coming to Civic Center

DES MOINES – “Once,” winner of eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical and winner of the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, will play the Des Moines Civic Center for a limited engagement from Tuesday, April 22, through Sunday, April 27, as part of Des Moines Performing Arts’ 2013-2014 Willis Broadway Series.

Tickets are available at DesMoinesPerformingArts.org, the Civic Center Ticket Office, all Ticketmaster locations and charge-by-phone at (800) 745-3000. Groups of 15 or more should call (515) 246-2340. Performances are slated as follows:

• 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 22

• 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 23

• 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 24

• 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 25

• 2 p.m. Saturday, April 26

• 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 26

• 1 p.m. Sunday, April 27

• 6:30 p.m. Sunday, April 27

“Once,” which was also named Best Musical by the New York Drama Critics’ Circle, Drama Desk, Drama League, Outer Critics Circle and Lucille Lortel Awards, is currently running on Broadway at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre where it started performances on Feb. 28, 2012, and opened March 18, 2012.

“Once” features the Academy Award-winning music and lyrics of Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, a book by award-winning Irish playwright & screenwriter, Enda Walsh (Penelope, Hunger, The New Electric Ballroom), direction by 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” is the celebrated new musical based on the Academy Award-winning 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 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. Brought to the stage by an award-winning team of visionary artists and featuring an ensemble cast of gifted actor/musicians, “Once” is a musical celebration of life and love.

The 2007 Academy Award-winning film, “Once,” was written and directed by John Carney and starred Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, with original music and lyrics by Hansard and Irglová.

The Oscar-winning independent Irish film, “Once,” was made for $150,000. Shot in 17 days, it went on to gross $20 million worldwide becoming a critically acclaimed international smash. It stars Glen Hansard, from the popular Irish Rock band The Frames, and Markéta Irglová. Glen and Markéta 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.

“Once” was originally developed at the American Repertory Theater (Cambridge, Massachusetts) in April 2011; Diane Paulus, Artistic Director; Diane Borger, Producer.

A developmental run of “Once” at New York Theatre Workshop (James C. Nicola and William Russo) began performances on Nov. 15, 2011, and opened Dec. 6. The production broke box office records and concluded a sold out engagement including a two week extension through January 15, 2012.

“Once” is produced by Barbara Broccoli, John N. Hart Jr., Patrick Milling Smith, Frederick Zollo, Brian Carmody, Michael G. Wilson, Orin Wolf and Executive Producer Robert Cole, in association with New York Theatre Workshop.

For more information about "Once," visit www.oncethemusical.com.