Once Upon A Time

So, an appealingly wounded Irish busker meets a beautiful Czech girl on the streets of Dublin. She's also a musician, and she hears something special in his mournful songs. Together they could make a go of it, as partners in music and love. That's how events would unfold in a typical musical, but Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova's Once proved to be anything but typical. The small-budget film about love and music eschewed simplicity in favor of verisimilitude. The guy and the girl's love for each other is real, but so are responsibilities such as children and the need to give your marriage a chance to heal. Audiences responded to this true-life love story on the big screen, and also to the musical adaptation -- the show picked up eight Tonys, including the one for Best Musical. The stage version of Once plays at 8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday and at 1 p.m. Sunday (April 8 through 20) at the Fox Theatre (527 North Grand Boulevard; 314-534-1111 or www.fabulousfox.com). Tickets are $25 to $95.
Tuesdays-Fridays, 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 2 & 8 p.m.; Sundays, 1 p.m. Starts: April 8. Continues through April 20, 2014