A jubilant Caribbean fantasy in which a young girl must prove to the mythical gods of her island that the power of love is stronger than death.
Once on This Island was first produced off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons, with book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, music by Stephen Flaherty, directed and choreographed by Graciela Daniele. The production moved to Broadway the following season, making it Ahrens + Flaherty’s Broadway debut.
8 TONY AWARD NOMINATIONS including BEST MUSICAL, BEST BOOK (Lynn Ahrens) and BEST SCORE (Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty)
WINNER of the THEATRE WORLD AWARD (LaChanze)
DRAMA DESK NOMINATION
WINNER—London’s OLIVIER AWARD for BEST MUSICAL
3 OLIVIER AWARD nominations
World Premiere Off-Broadway, Playwrights Horizons, May 6, 1990
Broadway Premiere, Booth Theatre, October 18, 1990
London Premiere, Island Theatre, September 28, 1994
“90 minutes of rousing musical theatre. One lush tune after another. Everyone is likely to emerge from the theatre ready to dance down the street.”
-New York Times
“Explodes with music and motion. The best musical of the season. “
-Associated Press
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Photos by Martha Swope
London Photos (color) courtesy of Imagination
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Show Credits
Booth Theater
Produced by The Shubert Organization (Gerald Schoenfeld: Chairman; Bernard B. Jacobs: President), Capital Cities/ABC Inc., Suntory International Corporation and James Walsh; Produced in association with Playwrights Horizons (André Bishop, Artistic Director; Paul S. Daniels, Executive Director)
Book and Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens
Music by Stephen Flaherty
Based on the novel “My Love, My Love” by Rosa Guy
Music orchestrated by Michael Starobin
Vocal and Dance Arrangements by Stephen Flaherty
Musical Director: Steve Marzullo
Percussion concepts by Norbert Goldberg
Directed and choreographed by Graciela Daniele
Scenic Design by Loy Arcenas
Costume Design by Judy Dearing
Lighting Design by Allen Lee Hughes
Sound Design by Scott Lehrer
General Manager: James Walsh
Company Manager: Florie Seery
Production Stage Manager: Leslie Loeb
Stage Manager: Fred Tyson
Musical Coordinator: Seymour ‘Red’ Press
Keyboard/Conductor: Steve Marzullo
Keyboard 2: Garth Roberts
Electric Bass: Tony Conniff
Percussion: Norbert Goldberg
Reeds: Richard Prior
Music Copying: Emily Grishman
Casting: Alan Filderman and Daniel Swee
General Press Representative: Philip Rinaldi
Musical Theatre Program Director for Playwrights Horizons: Ira Weitzman
Advertising: Serino Coyne, Inc.
Dance Captain: Gerry McIntyre
Jerry Dixon Daniel
Andrea Frierson Erzulie
Sheila Gibbs Mama Euralie
LaChanze Ti Moune
Kecia Lewis-Evans Asaka
Afi McClendon Little Ti Moune
Gerry McIntyre Armand
Milton Craig Nealy Agwe
Nikki Rene Andrea
Eric Riley Papa Ge
Ellis E. Williams Tonton Julian
Understudies: Gerry McIntyre (Papa Ge), Desiree Scott (Little Ti Moune), Keith Tyrone (Daniel, Armand, Tonton Julian, Agwe), Fuschia Walker (Mama Euralie, Asaka, Erzulie) and PaSean Wilson (Ti Moune, Andrea)
