Brokenhearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy coming to Broadway

As rumored, Once is being developed for the stage. Variety reports that the independent film, which won an Oscar last year for Best Original Song, will hit Broadway in the 10-11 season. I loved the film for its easy simplicity, and while the idea of broadway-izing it makes me nervous, this sounds enticing:

Musical will likely include songs from the film’s platinum-selling soundtrack along with others penned by Hansard and Irglova that did not make it into the film.

Zollo said he expected the show be an intimate musical on a scale similar to “Spring Awakening,” probably playing a Broadway house of about 1,000 seats.

Plans by producers John N. Hart Jr., Jeffrey Sine and Frederick Zollo sound pretty interesting, including a revival of THE FRONT PAGE with a man and a woman in the lead roles. They optioned Once a year ago, before the buzz took off, and they've produced great films, so perhaps this is one of those rare film-to-broadway moves we can feel good about.

And if you still haven't seen this film, please, please don't be deterred by the snobby indie buzz. It's one of my favorite films, a sweet, funny, quietly heartbreaking little movie with beautiful songs and characters you can't help falling in love with.