by Michele Markarian
“Once On This Island”. Book and Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens. Music by Stephen Flaherty. Directed by Pascale Forestal. Presented by Speakeasy Stage, Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street, Boston, MA through April 16.
Once on This Island” isn’t exactly a light show. Class barriers, racial prejudice, and unrequited love are three of its main themes. Throw in the capriciousness of the gods, whose conflicting forces can’t always be controlled, and you can be sure that tragedy will counter good fortune. But what follows the rollicking first number, “We Dance”, is an hour and a half of engaging storytelling and musical entertainment.
The production is set in Haiti, where a young orphan girl, Ti Moune, is rescued from a tree and adopted by an older childless couple who adore her. When Ti Moune sees a boy, Daniel, driving through town, it is an immediate coup de foudre, in spite of the fact that he comes from the French side of the island, the side that lives behind a closed iron gate and won’t have anything to do with the Black inhabitants. After Daniel gets into a car accident, Ti Moune nurses him back to health in her parents’ home, declaring, “They saved my life so that I could save his. My heart knows this.” The four gods who rule the island argue over which is stronger, love or death, with Papa Ge, Death himself, laying claim to one of the lovers’ lives should love lose.
This production ebbs and flows under the smooth direction of Forestal, who has assembled a strong cast of storytellers through dance and song. Anthony Pires Jr., who plays Ton Ton Julian, has warm, booming vocals and an energy that’s infectious. The four gods are particularly strong: Davron Monroe as Agwe, Yewande Odetoyinbo as Asaka, Malik Mitchell as a menacing Papa Ge, and the dulcet voiced Christina Jones as Erzulie. Kenny Lee plays Daniel with just the right amount of infatuation and coolness. Peli Naomi Woods is heartbreaking as the fervent Ti Moune; we can see the desperation and hope through her expressive eyes. The score is lively, sometimes poignant, but memorable and catchy, such as the gorgeous duet between Lee and Woods, “Forever Yours”, and Odetoyinbo’s ebullient rendition of “Mama Will Provide”. There was even a steelpan onstage, played by Becky Bass, that made me want to take lessons.
Erik D. Diaz’s set is colorful and cheerful, decorated with flags of Haiti. Chelsea Kerl’s costumes are also colorful and cheerful, with the exception of Papa Ge, who is appropriately clad in black. There is a lovely moment during the number “Rain”, where cast members perform holding clear umbrellas with silver tinsel that makes a swooshing sound when twirled, like the rain itself.
One might say that the show ends well, with a giant tree, the former Ti Moune, wedging itself between the gates of Daniel’s home so that it can no longer be closed off to the Black islanders, but I was indignant on behalf of our girl, who deserved better. Indignation is hard to hold onto, as the cast is singing, “Our lives become the stories that we weave”, which if you think about it, makes sense. Terrible things happen, and are happening in the news around us, but as I said to my seatmate when it was over, “It was really nice to be entertained.” A few days later, I still feel the glow and am grateful. For tickets and information, go to: https://www.speakeasystage.com
