Tony Tuesday: Once On This Island
Photo credit: Joan Marcus
This week we’re only going back two years, but the show itself was born in the 90’s. The power of love, nature and calypso music. This week’s TONY Tuesday is:
“We Dance/Mamma Will Provide” from Once On This Island at the 2018 TONY awards ceremony.
Once On This Island is the story of peasant girl, Ti Moune, who lives on a tropical island in the Caribbean Sea. Ti Moune uses her connection with the Gods to use love to force progressive change. Once On This Island is about the coming together of people from different social classes, the celebration of nature and the courage of one girl trying to make her world a better place.
The music and lyrics of Once On This Island were penned by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Aherns who would go on to win TONYs for their work on Ragtime. Aherns also penned the book for Once On This Island.
The show originally ran for three weeks Off-Broadway in May 1990 at Playwrights Horizons. The success of the show secured a Broadway transfer for October of the same year, opening at the Booth Theatre. The show was directed and choreographed by Graciela Daniele, with costume design by Judy Dearing and lighting design by Allen Lee Hughes. The opening night cast included: LaChanze as Ti Moune, Jerry Dixon as Daniel, Andrea Frierson as Erzulie, Sheila Gibbs as Mama Euralie, Kecia Lewis as Asaka, Milton Craig Nealy as Agwe and Eric Riley as Papa Ge. The production enjoyed a run of just over a year, closing in December 1991. The original production was nominated for eight 1991 TONY awards, but failed to win any.
The Birmingham Rep hosted the European premiere of the show in 1994, which transferred to the West End in September of the same year, winning the Olivier for Best New Musical in 1995. Lorna Brown starred in the role of Ti Moune, with Anthony Corriete as Daniel, Sharon D. Clarke as Asaka, Trever Michael Georges as Agwe, P.P. Arnold as Erzulie, Shezwae Powell as Mama Euralie and Clive Rowe as Papa Ge. The musical was again seen in the UK in 2009, back at the Rep, before heading to Nottingham Playhouse and Hackney Empire. Sharon D. Clarke reprised her role of Asaka with Lorna Brown coming back to play the role of Erzulie.
The musical was revived on Broadway in 2017 with newcomer Hailey Kilgore cast as Ti Moune. Michael Arden helmed the revival with choreography by Camille A. Brown. The show was presented in the round at Circle In The Square on Broadway. The concept used live animals and water, on a sand covered stage, with set and costume design looking as if the community had recovered from a hurricane, and whilst also commenting on the pollution caused by humans throwing rubbish into the sea. The revival also saw the roles of Asaka and Papa Ge as non gender conforming. The opening night cast included Isaac Powell as Daniel, Alex Newell as Osaka, Kenita R. Miller as Mama Euralie, Merle Dandridge as Papa Ge and Quentin Earl Darrington as Agwe. The revival was a commercial and critical success, closing on 9 January 2019. The show was again nominated for eight TONY awards, this time winning one for Best Revival.
The revival production embarked on a national tour and was reconceptualised to fit into proscenium arched theatres, featuring onstage seating. The tour was however closed early, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the summer of 2020, Disney announced they were in the process of creating a film adaptation of Once On This Island for their streaming service Disney+.
I was fortunate enough to see the revival of Once On This Island and it truly is a transformative show. The beauty in the culture and the celebration of love and spirituality was simply breathtaking. Listen to as much as you can, Besties!
Original cast recordings of Broadway and London, as well as the revival cast recordings, are available on Spotify and AppleMusic.
FACTS:
Music: Stephen Flaherty
Lyrics: Lynn Aherns
Book: Lynn Aherns
Theatre: The Booth Theatre (Original), Circle in the Square (Revival)
Run: 18 October 1990 – 1 December 1991 (19 previews, 460 regular performances [Original])
9 November 2017 – 6 January 2019 (468 regular performances [Revival])
TONYS:
(NOMINATED) Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical – Lynn Aherns, Best Original Score - Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Aherns, Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical – LaChanze, Best Direction of a Musical – Graciela Daniele (Michael Arden 2018), Best Choreography – Graciela Daniele, Best Costume Design – Judy Dearing (Clint Ramos 2018), Best Lighting Design – Allen Lee Hughes (Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer 2018), Best Actress on a Musical – Hailey Kilgore (2018), Best Scenic Design in a Musical – Dane Laffrey (2018), Best Sound Design – Peter Hylenski (2018), Best Orchestrations – AnnMarie Millazo and Michael Starobin (2018)
(WON) Best Revival – 2018
OLIVIERS:
(NOMINATED) Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical – Sharon D. Clarke, Best Director of a Musical – David Toguri and Gwenda Hughes, Best Theatre Choreographer – David Toguri
(WON) Best New Musical
