Once on This Island (Village Theatre)
Stage Review - Once on this Island
Presented By: Village Theatre - Issaquah, WA
Show Run: May 14 - June 16, 2024 (Issaquah) / June 22 - July 14 (Everett)
Date Reviewed: Saturday, May 18, 2024 (Opening Weekend)
Reviewed By: Greg Heilman
Have you ever eaten in one of those themed restaurants? You know, the kind that make it seem like you’re eating in the middle of a rainforest, in a plaza in Mexico, or in some other far away location you could only dream of going to? These restaurants succeed in large part because of these inherent themes, and while the food may not be so memorable, the experience is, and that’s because of their immersion, the “thing” that makes them destinations and keeps people coming back time and again. Immersion, though, isn’t as simple as just placing some palm trees in a dining room and calling it the Caribbean. Rather, it’s the result of a combination of elements, including lighting, ambient sound, music, and ultimately the behavior of the staff. The staff has to be bought into the story for it truly to work. You’ve probably guessed where I’m going with this, and most likely you’re an step ahead of me. The pieces that make a restaurant, or other attraction, immersive are the same that come together in theatre to provide the same result, lighting, sound, music, and performance. Oh, and don’t forget the scenic design, the set, the “palm trees” of the theatre space. Once on This Island, presented by Village Theatre and on stage at their Issaquah location through June 16 taps into all of these ingredients to present a show that is truly immersive, beautifully designed and presented, and expertly performed. Village’s Once on This Island feels more like a tropical experience than mere musical theatre.
Once on This Island is a tropical retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid, with book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty. The experience that is Once on This Island at Village Theatre is directed and choreographed by Ameenah Kaplan, with music direction from Michael Nutting. The experience itself begins before the curtain even rises, the metaphorical curtain since the audience is greeted by an immense and wondrous tropical themed set upon entering the auditorium. Add to this visual the underlying din of tropical birds and the odd rumble of thunder, and you might almost think you’ve been transported to the islands. When the show begins, everything is dialed up, lightning flashes, thunder crashing, rain falling, all coming together to represent the storm that notes the start of our story, in which a little girl is trapped and scared, then comforted by island’s inhabitants who then proceed to allay her fears by recounting the story of Ti Moune, another little girl who had once on this island also been trapped in a storm such as what has befallen the little girl. This stunning and immersive scenic design is attributable to a combination of Bryce Cutler’s set, Robert J. Aguilar’s lighting, and Robertson Witmer’s sound. These three bring the creative design elements together in an orchestral confluence that is brilliant and stimulating for the eyes and ears. As the villagers recount the tale of Ti Moune, these design elements change and reflect the progression of the story.
The set is a work of art, flanked on the sides by fruit trees and other tropical accoutrements, it’s transportive for sure, with clean lines and a color palate that makes it not just pleasing to the eye, but active in its stillness, it feels alive. When the show begins, the set itself does come to life, it’s mobile, with concentric rings of rotation that represent movement, location, and mood, providing multiple angles that take the audience to different locations on the island and both sides of the prison that has divided this island for generations. The set is a cast member in and of itself, and much in the way that the tropics teem with life, so it is with this design. There are also the little things, like the way in which he uses the set to reflect the growing up of Ti Moune from pre-teen to teenager to young adult. It’s creative and very well done.
As we learn in the story of Ti Moune, there had been two distinct groups of island inhabitants, the peasants who discover the scared little girl trapped in a tree and the “grands hommes”, those that are lighter skinned than the peasants and directly descended from the original French settlers and their slaves. Ti Moune is taken in and raised by the peasants, more precisely Mama Euralie and Tonton Julian, who bring her up as if she was their own. While exploring, the she comes across the injured form of a man, Daniel, hurt when his car crashes during a storm. Little does Ti Moune know at this point that her coming across this handsome, lighter skinned man wasn’t the stuff of chance. The island gods, Asaka (Mother of the Earth), Agwé (God of Water), Erzulie (Goddess of Love) and Papa Ge (Demon of Death), made a wager among themselves after Ti Moune called upon them to ask her true direction in life. What follows is the result of this wager, the impact it has on Ti Moune, her village, and the island as a whole. Once on This Island is a tale of love conquering generations of hate, but also one of pain, heartbreak, and the ultimate sacrifice. It’s a story we could all take something from in our world that is so divided in terms of “us and them”, as we all search for a way to break through those barriers of hate.
The design elements, in their multi-dimensional presentation, set the backdrop for this piece of island folklore, but the story itself comes alive through the cast that Ameenah Kaplan has put together. There is excellence galore in this group, and as an ensemble they are strong, powerful, and just splendid to watch. Each member of the ensemble has their own story to tell through the individuality of their dance and movement, in addition to their contributions to the telling of Ti Moune’s. It’s an absolute pleasure to watch each and every one deliver Ameenah’s excellent choreography with a combination of precision and individual fluidity. It seems like nobody is doing the same thing, but together they are one living organism. Danielle Nieves’ costuming is exquisite, each piece designed individually to match the movement and story that the actor is telling. For the peasants, her designs are colorful, flowing, and free while the dress of the “grands hommes” is more formal, more singular in color, and stiff in look. That said, though, the dress worn by Daniel’s betrothed Andrea is absolutely stunning. Simone Alene plays Andrea here, and she’s good in this role, but where she becomes memorable in this production is in her work as part of the ensemble. Each member of the group takes a different part of the story to narrate and Simone’s is perhaps the most commanding out of them, on point with her accent, and her movements as part of the ensemble are fluid and smooth, almost enthralling to watch. The ensemble doesn’t just provide voices to tell the island’s story as well as their own, they also provide percussive accompaniment to the orchestra under Michael Nutting’s charge, adding claps and stomps, in songs like “And the Gods Heard Her Prayer”, this addition raising the fullness of the number to a higher level. Once on This Island is an “all hands on deck” production, and that shows, this group is one of the best pure ensembles that I’ve seen this season.
Just because the ensemble work is so good, that doesn’t mean there aren’t some individual highlights as well, because there are plenty. Sydney Quildon plays the older Ti Moune in a performance that is innocent, soulful, and confident, with a voice that feels like a breath of fresh air. Jeffery Wallace as her Daniel is good as well, and the two singing together present excellent harmony, their on stage chemistry believable. The performance highlights for me, though, and as much as I like Sydney’s Ti Moune, Jeffery’s Daniel, Jesse Jonathan Smith Sr.’s Tonton Julien, and Marlette Buchanan’s Mama Euralie, reside in those of the gods. Kelsey Scott is a strong Asaka, with Yusef D. Seevers as her foil Papa Ge. Chandler T. Thomas’ Agwé has a large part to play here as does Kataka Corn’s Erzulie. They each have a stake in what happens to Ti Moune, and each seem to know which direction the girl should or will go in. Together in “And the Gods Heard Her Prayer”, the group together stands out, but the true highlight is Yusef’s Papa Ge in “Forever Yours”. Here, this excellent performance comes together with all of the design elements, Ameenah’s choreography, Robert’s lighting, and Robertson’s sound to provide a scene reminiscent of Dr. Facilier in Disney’s Princess and the Frog, especially with Danielle’s design in costume for the character. It’s a spooky scene and shows the power of evil against the good that the other gods represent. Another favorite is Kelsey’s Asaka singing “Mama Will Provide”. Perhaps the most well known song from the musical is done very well here, too, truly representing the hopeful side of what the gods represent, a good contrast to Papa Ge.
The Village Theatre production of Once on This Island, the story of how love and the ultimate sacrifice can heal wounds that have been growing for generations, is an immersive, stunningly designed, and beautifully presented piece of musical theatre. Think of this as Romeo and Juliet meets The Little Mermaid, set on a tropical island. The story is told by way of a convergence between design and performance that is first rate, not just musical theatre, but a true visual and auditory experience, one that draws the audience into it and makes them feel that they are part of this wonderful story.
Once on This Island runs on stage at Village Theatre in Issaquah through June 16 before beginning its run at the theatre’s Everett location on June 22. For more information about the theatre, this show, or to purchase tickets, visit https://villagetheatre.org/.
Photo credit: Auston James
