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Once On This
Island by San Diego Junior Theatre  Hans Christian Andersen’s classic tale of The Little
Mermaid has been adapted by Rosa Guy into the beautiful, heartbreaking, but
hopeful story of the peasant island girl Ti Moune who falls in love with Daniel,
a son
of the French nobility that rules her Caribbean island. Her love is so strong
that she makes a deal with Papa Ge, the Demon of Death, to sacrifice her life in
order to save Daniel's. But class and racial prejudices are strong emotions as well, and the
Frenchman Daniel may not be willing to defy his family and his upbringing that
seek to keep the two apart.
It’s a powerful and touching story of hopeless love, and of one girl who still loves despite its hopelessness. Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty have transformed the story into a highly popular musical full of poetic lyrics, engaging reggae, and mesmerizing ballads. And Director Mike Anthony has put together another amazingly talented cast and crew to bring this story to life in a dazzling production filled with magnificent voices, energetic dancing, and a wide variety of enchanting costumes – a fitting climax to San Diego Junior Theatre's outstanding 54th season. Those voices are led by Jacqueline Lopez as Ti Moune, a sensational young actress with a strong, beautiful, wide-ranging voice and a magnetic stage presence. Jacqueline’s voice and style nail both the fun, lively numbers and the more quiet, tender pieces. Her dancing is both graceful and full of feeling. Other great voices in the cast include Ti Moune’s adopted mother (Chandra Profit) who sings Young Ti Moune (Olivia Puckett) down from a tree, Ti Moune's lover Daniel (Jesse Johnson), Jessica Wheeler as Erzulie, Goddess of Love, and Shanda Pierce as Asaka, Mother of Earth. Shanda leads the entire ensemble in a spirited Mama Will Provide to end the first act. The second act includes a few opportunities for the ensemble to demonstrate their remarkable singing and dancing talents in the ballroom and the conclusion on the island where the gods join the storytellers in rejoicing Ti Moune’s steadfast love, all choreographed with entrancing vision and insight by Donna Marie Cory. Costume Designer Shulamit Nelson, the regular designer at North Coast Repertory Theatre, added so much to the show by fashioning a brilliantly colorful and exciting assortment of costumes for the islanders and the gods including streamers that transform the ensemble's bodies into rain, while fitting the French aristocrats all in distinctively white suits and dresses that seem befittingly out of place on the island. The set design by Tony Cucuzzella includes picturesque island scenes and four movable mountains on which the gods are perched to oversee the events – events that hit on humanity’s most powerful and compelling themes. Which, after all, is Why We Tell the Story, and why we yearn to hear it told again and again.Rob Hopper San Diego Playbill ~ Cast ~
Little Girl: Olivia Puckett Mama Euralie: Chandra Profit Ton Ton Julian: Christopher Luna Ti Moune: Jacqueline Lopez Daniel: Jesse Johnson Andrea: Courtney Linton Armand: Ryan Mickler Asaka, Mother of Earth: Shanda Pierce Agwe, God of Water: Kyle Johnson Erzulie, Goddess of Love: Jessica Wheeler Papa Ge, Demon of Death: Joel Lopez ~ The Storytellers ~ Peasants: Alyssa Cose-Primus Lena Hudson Jenny King Christopher Lange Ashley Moore Neno Phillips Dominic Robinson Emily Shackelford Paul Simmons Jr. Beauxhommes: Matthew Bohrer Jesse Bradley Daryl Daley Lindsay Geier Joseph Glaser Rebecca Marberry Carly McCord Leigh Schindler Mara Solar Director: Michael Anthony Choreographer: Donna Marie Cory Set Design: Tony Cucuzzella Light Design: Ginger Harris Costume Design: Shulamit Nelson Sound Design: Alan Edwards |