Once on This Island is a one-act musical with a book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty. Based on the 1985 novel My Love, My Love; or, The Peasant Girl by Rosa Guy, set in the French Antilles in the Caribbean Sea. The show also includes elements of the Romeo and Juliet story and elements of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale The Little Mermaid. The story concerns a peasant girl on a tropical island, who uses the power of love to bring together people of different social classes. The original Broadway production ran from 1990 to 1991, and the West End production opened in 1994, where it won the 1995 Olivier Award for Best New Musical. Once on This Island was originally staged at Off-Broadways Playwrights Horizons, running from May 6, 1990 through May 27, 1990. The Broadway production opened on October 18, 1990 at the Booth Theatre and closed on December 1, 1991, after 469 performances and 19 previews. With direction and choreography by Graciela Daniele, the musical featured LaChanze as Ti Moune, Jerry Dixon as Daniel, Andrea Frierson as Erzulie, Sheila Gibbs as Mama Euralie, Kecia Lewis as Asaka, Gerry McIntyre as Armand, Milton Craig Nealy as Agwe, Eric Riley as Papa Ge, Ellis E. Williams as Tonton Julian and Afi McClendon as Little Ti Moune. In 2002, the original Broadway cast was reunited with special guest Lillias White to perform the show for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund. The European premiere took place in 1994, hosted by the Birmingham Rep, and then transferred to the West End Royalty Theatre (now the Peacock Theatre) in September 1994. The production won the Olivier Award for Best New Musical.[1] The musical was revived in the UK in 2009 at Birmingham Rep, Nottingham Playhouse, and the Hackney Empire Theatre in London. Susie McKenna directed, with Sharon D. Clarke reprising her 1994 role as Asaka.[1][2][3][4] In June 2012, the Paper Mill Playhouse presented a production directed by Thomas Kail,[5] Syesha Mercado as Ti Moune[6] and Darius de Haas as Agwe.[7] SynopsisEdit Clockwise from left, Asaka, Erzulie, Agwe, and Papa Ge, from the Alfred University production. One stormy night, thunder booms, making a small girl cry in fear. To comfort her, the villagers tell her the story of Ti Moune, a peasant girl who falls in love with a grande homme, Daniel Beauxhomme – a story of life, pain, love, grief, faith, and hope. In this story, four gods (Asaka, Mother of the Earth; Agwé, god of Water; Erzulie, goddess of Love; and Papa Ge, Demon of Death) rule an island, the Jewel of the Antilles (Haiti), where poor peasants worship them (Prologue/We Dance). The peasants, black as night, live on one side of the island, and the grandes hommes, lighter-skinned descendants of the original French planters and their slaves, live on the other. One day, Agwe unleashes a terrible storm upon the island, which in turn causes a disastrous flood, wiping out many villages. However, the gods save the life of little Ti Moune, an orphan, by placing her in a tree, above the floods waves. She is found and subsequently adopted by the peasants Mama Euralie and Tonton Julian (One Small Girl). Years afterwards, Ti Moune, grown up, prays to the gods to know her purpose, and to let her be like the fast-driving strangers on the roads near her village - the grandes hommes (Waiting for Life). Hearing her plea, the gods laugh at her. However, Erzulie says to give her love, because it is stronger than any of the other elements. Papa Ge, offended, proposes a bet to prove which is stronger: love or death. Agwe arranges for the car of Daniel Beauxhomme, a young grande homme, to crash during a storm so that Ti Moune may meet Daniel and restore him to health (And The Gods Heard Her Prayer/Rain). Despite the objections of the other peasants, including her own parents, Ti Moune helps the intruder recover (Pray). Ti Moune falls in love with the stranger and, as she cares for the unconscious boy, imagines he loves her too. When Papa Ge comes to take Daniels life, Ti Moune offers her life in exchange for Daniels so that he will not die (Forever Yours). Papa Ge is angry but leaves, hinting he will return – sooner or later, as her life now belongs to him. Tonton travels to the other side of the Island to seek Daniels family at the Hotel Beauxhomme. When Tonton returns, he brings with him the story of Daniels people (The Sad Tale of the Beauxhommes) as well as some of Daniels people to take the boy back. Ti Moune is tearfully separated from Daniel and tells her parents that she will go after Daniel to marry him. Ti Mounes parents reluctantly let her go (Ti Moune). During her travels, she encounters the goddess Asaka, who tells her not to fear, as the Earth will give her everything she needs on her journey to Daniel (Mama Will Provide). Ti Moune travels across the island (Waiting For Life (Reprise)). The storytellers then relate the story of her difficult journey to the city (including being forced to wear too-tight shoes) through the hotel gates and finding Daniels room (Some Say). Daniel, still ill and unable to walk, does not remember her but believes her after she describes the scar on his chest. As they stay together, Erzulie gives them the gift of love (Human Heart). Daniel ignores the townspeoples gossiping (Pray (Reprise)) over the unlikely relationship of a rich Beauxhomme and a poor peasant. Daniel delights in Ti Mounes differences from the rich girls in his life, noting that some girls you marry, some you love (Some Girls). At a ball held at the hotel, Andrea Deveraux, a daughter of Daniels family friends, cajoles Ti Moune to dance for them (her ulterior motive being to make her look bad in front of the grande hommes). Ti Moune does dance and gains the admiration of the rich society members. Afterwards, Ti Moune learns that Daniel is engaged to be married to Andrea (When We Are Wed). Daniel, reminded of his responsibilities, must go through with the arranged marriage, although he insists they can be lovers forever. Ti Moune is crushed. Papa Ge reappears and reminds Ti Moune of her promise to exchange her life for Daniels – but says she can revoke the bargain if she kills Daniel (Promises/Forever Yours (Reprise)). Ti Moune enters Daniels room with a knife, but she still loves him too much to kill him - proving love is stronger than death. However, Daniel finds Ti Moune with the knife. Appalled at the attempted murder, the Beauxhommes throw her out of the hotel grounds. She waits for days to meet Daniel at the gate. As Daniel and Andrea are married, they follow an old tradition of throwing coins to the peasants outside the hotel gates - Ti Moune calles to Daniel, who places a silver coin in Ti Mounes hand and leaves. The storytellers tell how Erzulie took her by the hand and led her to the ocean, where Agwé allowed her to drown peacefully, Papa Ge received her gently and brought her back to shore, where Asaka transformed her into a tree (A Part Of Us). The tree becomes a celebration of life and love that cracks open the gates of the hotel, allowing those of all social statuses to become one. Her legacy brings together another peasant girl and a new young grande homme, Daniels son, as they play in her branches. The storytellers share with them a retelling of the story how a peasant girl proved the power of love could bring together the people of the island. It helps us to remember, to forgive - and out of what we live and we believe, our lives become the stories that we weave. As the musical ends, the little girl who was frightened by the storm begins to retell the story herself (Why We Tell The Story). CharactersEdit Ti Moune, a peasant girl Daniel Beauxhomme, a grande homme; Ti Mounes love interest (Beauxhomme means beautiful man). Papa Ge, sly Demon of Death; the main antagonist of the show. He tricks the main character into giving her life for another. He is seen as a skeleton and is very sneaky. The people on the island fear him because of what he represents: the unknown that is death. Erzulie, beautiful Goddess of Love; the foil to Papa Ge Agwe, God of Water Asaka, Mother of the Earth Mama Euralie, Ti Mounes adoptive mother Tonton Julian, Ti Mounes adoptive father Andrea Deveraux, Daniels promised wife; also Madame Armand Armand, Daniels stern father; also Armand, the ancestor Gatekeeper, the Hotel Beauxhommes fierce guard (commonly played by Armand) Little Ti Moune, Ti Moune as a child; also The Little Girl Daniels Son, Daniels young son (commonly played by Daniel) Storytellers/Gossips, various Grands Hommes and peasants (in most productions, the storytellers are shown as playing the parts of the Gods) Note: The original cast was chosen along racial lines, with darker-skinned actors portraying the peasants, and lighter-skinned actors portraying the upper-class landowners. In the script, the writers provide small line changes that can be used to remove references to skin color to accommodate multi-ethnic productions, while preserving the storyline about differences between the upper and lower classes.[8] Musical numbersEdit Note: This is the song list from the original Broadway production[9] Prologue/We Dance - Storytellers One Small Girl - Mama Euralie, Tonton Julian, Little Ti Moune, and Storytellers Waiting for Life - Ti Moune and Storytellers And the Gods Heard Her Prayer - Asaka, Agwe, Erzulie, and Papa Ge Rain - Agwe and Storytellers Pray - Ti Moune, Mama Euralie, Tonton Julian, Guard and Storytellers Forever Yours - Ti Moune, Daniel and Papa Ge The Sad Tale of the Beauxhommes - Armand and Storytellers (Cut from MTIs Junior Version[10]) Ti Moune- Ti Moune, Mama Euralie, Tonton Julian Mama Will Provide - Asaka and Storytellers Waiting for Life (Reprise) - Ti Moune (Cut from MTIs Junior Version[10]) Some Say - Storytellers (Cut from MTIs Junior Version[10]) The Human Heart - Erzulie and Storytellers Pray (Reprise) - Storytellers Some Girls - Daniel (Cut from MTIs Junior Version[10]) The Ball - Andrea, Daniel, Ti Moune, and Storytellers When We Are Wed - Andrea, Daniel and Ti Moune (Partially cut in MTIs Junior Version[10]) Forever Yours (Reprise) - Papa Ge, Ti Moune, Erzulie, and Storytellers A Part of Us - Mama Euralie, Tonton Julian, Little Ti Moune, and Storytellers Why We Tell the Story - Storytellers Cut songs include Come Down From the Tree and When Daniel Marries.[11][12] Come Down From the Tree, was a song for Mama Euralie; it is included in several recordings, including its first recording on Bruce Kimmels Lost in Boston CD, where it was sung by Lillias White - it was also included on Audra McDonalds How Glory Goes.[13] Awards and nominationsEdit Original Broadway production Year Award Category Nominee Result 1991 Tony Award Best Musical Nominated Best Book of a Musical Lynn Ahrens Nominated Best Original Score Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens Nominated Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical LaChanze Nominated Best Direction of a Musical Graciela Daniele Nominated Best Choreography Nominated Best Costume Design Judy Dearing Nominated Best Lighting Design Allen Lee Hughes Nominated Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actress in a Musical LaChanze Nominated Theatre World Award Won Original London production Year Award Category Nominee Result 1995 Laurence Olivier Award Best New Musical Won Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical Sharon D. Clarke Nominated Best Director of a Musical David Toguri and Gwenda Hughes Nominated Best Theatre Choreographer David Toguri Nominated NotesEdit Shenton, Mark. Clarke to Star in U.K. Revival of Ahrens and Flahertys Once on This Island , Playbill, January 12, 2009. Once on This Island listing, nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk, 2009, retrieved January 10, 2010. Once on This Island listing, birmingham-rep.co.uk, 2009, retrieved January 10, 2010 Bosanquet, Theo. Review:Once on This Island at Hackney, whatsonstage, July 29, 2009. Goings on about Town: The Theatre, The New Yorker Theatre in Review: Once on This Island (Paper Mill Playhouse), L&S Online America, June 11, 2012 Stage Tube: Highlights from Paper Mill Playhouses Once on this Island, broadway, June 11, 2012 Ahrens, Lynn (1991). Libretto Vocal Book, Once on This Island. Hillsdale Music. p. vii. IBDB. Once on This Island, 1980, InternetBroadwayDatabase, accessed July 19, 2012 Ahrens, Lynn (1991). Libretto Vocal Book, Once on This Island JR. Music Theatre International. Discography, see p. 5, Lost in Boston series ahrensandflaherty, accessed July 21, 2012 Jones, Kenneth. Playbill On-Lines Brief Encounter with Lynn Ahrens, Playbill, April 30, 2002 How Glory Goes, nonesuch, accessed July 21, 2012 ReferencesEdit Synopsis and production information at guidetomusicaltheatre Once on This Island at the Music Theatre International website External linksEdit Ahrens and Flaherty official website Once on This Island at the Internet Broadway Database
Posted on: Wed, 06 Aug 2014 02:23:56 +0000
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