Ben Hope and Laura Dreyfuss Set as the New Stars of Once on Broadway

Once is getting a new Guy and Girl in the form of Ben Hope and Laura Dreyfuss, who will take over the leading roles from Tony winner Steve Kazee and Tony nominee Cristin Milioti.

Kazee and Milioti will play their last performance on March 24, departing along with Will Connolly and Tony nominee Elizabeth A. Davis. Hope and Dreyfuss will take over beginning March 26; Carlos Valdes and Claire Wellin will also join the cast as Andrej and Reza, respectively (replacing Connolly and Davis).

Based on the award-winning 2007 indie film, Once tells the story of a whirlwind romance between an Irish street musician and a Czech immigrant. The show opened on Broadway at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on March 18, 2012, and went on to win eight Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Actor for Kazee.

Hope currently understudies the role of Guy in the Broadway cast of Once. He also appeared regionally in Hank Williams: Lost Highway and as Buddy Holly in Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story. Dreyfus appeared on Broadway in the Tony-winning revival of Hair. Valdes was featured in the national tour of Jersey Boys; Wellin is a veteran of Chicago regional theatre, with credits at Lookingglass, Steppenwolf and the Goodman Theatre.