Under the direction of John Tiffany, the original cast was led by Steve Kazee and Cristin Milioti as Guy and Girl, respectively. Once premiered in a workshop at the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge, MA, in April 2011, before its transfer to New York Theatre Workshop where it made its Off-Broadway debut on 6 December 2011, following previews from 15 November, on a run through 15 January 2012. The bar is used before the show and at intermission as a working bar for theater patrons. They serve as the orchestra from these chairs. Exiting cast members simply step to the side of the stage and sit down. A minimalist set is used, including a bar in center stage with chairs lining stage left and right. In the musical, the cast also serves as the orchestra. It has since spawned a London production, with a North American Tour which started on 1 October 2013.

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

The book for the musical was written by Enda Walsh. Like the film, music and lyrics were by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, including the Academy Award-winning ' Falling Slowly'. Once is a musical based on the 2007 film of the same name by John Carney. Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music

Once & Future, Vol. 1 by Kieron Gillen