Tiffany directed the Off-Broadway and Broadway productions of '' Once '' in 2011 – 2012 . He won the 2012 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical for his direction of '' Once '' . Among the artistic decisions that Hoggett and Tiffany made was the decision to eliminate the choreography from several works including " Falling Slowly " , which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 80th Academy Awards in 2008 . He won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for '' Once '' at the 66th Tony Awards . Tiffany also received a 2012 Obie Award special citation ( along with '' Once '' colleagues Hoggett and Martin Lowe ) . '' Once '' earned 11 Tony Award nominations , more than any other production for the 2011 – 12 season
80th Academy Awards
80th Academy Awards
John Tiffany