“Begin Again,” a new musical based on John Carney’s Oscar-nominated motion picture, has set a world premiere with San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre. Lorin Latarro will direct the musical, set to begin previews on Sept. 6, 2026, and open on Sept. 17 for a limited run through Oct. 11 on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage. Pat Monahan, lead singer and primary songwriter of the Grammy Award-winning band Train, will pen original music and lyrics for the show.
Book writer Jenna Clark Embrey is adapting the story of two unlikely dreamers who discover that music has the power to change everything. “Begin Again” follows Gretta, a gifted but heartbroken songwriter, who crosses paths with Dan, a record producer on the brink of burnout. Their chance encounter sparks an unexpected collaboration that transforms them both.
Rounding out the “Begin Again” creative team will be Tony Award-nominated choreographer David Neumann and music supervisor, arranger and orchestrator Brian Usifer.
“Begin Again” filmmaker Carney is no stranger to stage adaptations. His 2006 film “Once” was made into a 2012 stage musical which took home eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Carney’s 2016 film “Sing Street” debuted Off-Broadway as a musical in 2019.
Embrey is a literary manager and dramaturg with Lincoln Center Theater, where she is also the executive editor of the Lincoln Center Theater Review.
As part of Train, Monahan is known for a number of hit songs, including “Drops of Jupiter,” “Hey, Soul Sister” and “Drive By.”
Latarro, currently represented on Broadway as the choreographer of “Chess,” has an array of Broadway choreography credits that include “Waitress,” “Into the Woods,” “The Heart of Rock and Roll” and “The Who’s Tommy.” She has also previously directed “A Taste of Things to Come” Off-Broadway and was recently announced to be helming the world premiere musical “Starstruck.”
Usifer, music supervisor of Broadway’s “Chess,” also has a slew of Broadway credits, including “The Book of Mormon,” “Kinky Boots” and “Frozen.”
Neumann earned a Tony nomination for his choreography of “Hadestown.” His credits also include “Swept Away” and Off-Broadway’s “The Total Bent.”
The film “Begin Again” premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2013. Starring Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo, the movie received an Academy Award nomination for the song “Lost Stars” by Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois.
The stage musical “Begin Again” is being produced by special arrangement with Stephanie Kramer, Tamar Climan and Nicole Kramer. Stephanie Kramer is a five-time Tony-winning producer, most recently as a co-producer of 2025’s “Sunset Boulevard.” Both Kramers will be producers of the upcoming 2026 Broadway production of “Giant.” Climan is a Tony-winning producer, having co-produced 2019’s “Oklahoma!”
Full casting and additional members of the creative team will be announced.
