ONLINE PROGRAM
ONCE ON THIS ISLAND
music & book by LYNN AHRENS
music by STEPHEN FLAHERTY
based upon the novel "My Love, My Love" by ROSA GUY
originally directed and choreographed on Broadway by GRACIELA DANIELE
PLAYWRIGHTS HORIZONS, INC PRODUCED ONCE ON THIS ISLAND off- Broadway in 1990
originally produced off-Broadway by THE SHUBERT ORGANIZATION, CAPITAL CITIES/ ABC INC.
Suntory international Corporation and James Walsh. in association with Playwrights Horizon
Once On This Island is presented through a special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com
May 9th to 31st, 2025
Thursdays to Saturdays 7pm
Saturdays & Sundays 2pm
rated G | 6+
running time:
Two-act musical, approx. 120
min with a 15 min. intermission
​SBT Production photography by Tim Nguyen.
The videotaping or making of electronic or other audio and/or visual recordings of this production or distributing recordings on any medium, including the Internet, is strictly prohibited, a violation of the author’s rights and actionable under copyright law.
SHOW SUMMARY
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From the Tony Award-winning songwriting team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (Seussical, Ragtime), comes the Olivier Award-winning Once on This Island. This highly original and theatrical Caribbean adaptation of the popular fairy tale, The Little Mermaid, garnered eight Tony nominations for its Broadway run, including Best Musical, Book and Score.
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Ti Moune, a peasant girl, rescues a wealthy boy from the other side of the island, Daniel, with whom she falls in love. Unbeknownst to Ti Moune, the pompous gods who preside over the island make a bet with one another over which is stronger, love or death, the stakes being Ti Moune’s life. When she pursues Daniel, who has returned to his people, Ti Moune is shunned because of her lowly status. Her determination and capacity to love, though, is not enough to win Daniel’s heart, and Ti Moune pays the ultimate price; but the gods turn Ti Moune into a tree that grows so strong and so tall, it breaks the wall that separates the societies and ultimately unites them.
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RATING: G | 6+
Read more about show ratings and recommendations >
Video courtesy of The Music Man on Broadway, 2022, starring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster, directed by Jerry Zaks.
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Production Inclusion Statics
76.00% FEMALE/NON-BINARY
REPRESENTATION
62.00% MARGINALIZED REPRESENTATION
40.00% BIPOC
REPRESENTATION
16.00% LGBTQIA2S+
REPRESENTATION
90.00% ON STAGE
55.00% OFFSTAGE
80.00% ON STAGE
35.00% OFFSTAGE
63.33% ON STAGE
5.00% OFFSTAGE
16.67% ON STAGE
15.00% OFFSTAGE
ABOUT THE CREATOR
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LYNN AHRENS
Lynn Ahrens is an American writer and lyricist for the musical theatre, television and film. She has collaborated with Stephen Flaherty for many years. She won the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award for the Broadway musical Ragtime. Together with Flaherty, she has written many musicals, including Lucky Stiff, My Favorite Year, Ragtime, Seussical, A Man of No Importance, Dessa Rose, The Glorious Ones, Rocky, Little Dancer and, recently on Broadway, Anastasia and Once on This Island.
She was also nominated for two Academy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards for the animated Twentieth Century Fox film Anastasia. She wrote the teleplay of her 1994 musical adaption of A Christmas Carol, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Ahrens. She was a mainstay writer and performer for ABC-TV's Schoolhouse Rock! Ahrens also wrote lyrics for the title song for After the Storm, the documentary film about young Hurricane Katrina survivors putting on Once On This Island.
STEPHEN FLAHERTY
Stephen Flaherty is an American composer of musical theatre and film. He works most often in collaboration with the lyricist/book writer Lynn Ahrens. They are best known for writing the Broadway musicals Ragtime, which was nominated for thirteen Tony Awards, two Grammy Awards, and won the Tony for Best Original Score; Once on This Island, which won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical, the Olivier Award for London's Best Musical, and was nominated for a Grammy Award and eight Tony Awards; and Seussical, which was nominated for the Grammy Award. Flaherty was also nominated for two Academy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards (with Lynn Ahrens) for his songs and song score for the animated film musical Anastasia.
SONG LIST
ACT ONE
We Dance – Storytellers
One Small Girl – Mama Euralie, Tonton Julian, Little Ti Moune, and Storytellers
Waiting For Life – Ti Moune and Storytellers
And The Gods Heard Her Prayer – Asaka, Agwe, Erzulie, and Papa Ge
Rain – Agwe and Storytellers
Pray – Ti Moune, Mama Euralie, Tonton Julian, Guard and Storytellers
Forever Yours – Ti Moune, Daniel and Papa Ge
The Sad Tale Of The Beauxhommes – Armand and Storytellers
Ti Moune – Ti Moune, Mama Euralie, Tonton Julian
Mama Will Provide – Asaka and Storytellers
Waiting For Life (Reprise) – Ti Moune
Some Say – Storytellers
The Human Heart – Erzulie and Storytellers
Pray (Reprise) – Storytellers
Some Girls – Daniel
The Ball – Andrea, Daniel, Ti Moune, and Storytellers
When We Are Wed – Andrea, Daniel and Ti Moune
Forever Yours (Reprise) – Papa Ge, Ti Moune, Erzulie, and Storytellers
A Part Of Us – Mama Euralie, Tonton Julian, Little Ti Moune, and Storytellers
Why We Tell The Story – Storytellers​
FROM THE
DIRECTOR & ARTISTIC PRODUCER
'The Music Man,' often celebrated as an American classic, paints a vivid picture of life in a small town and invites us to witness the transformative journey of its characters. Composed by Meredith Willson, this timeless tale highlights extraordinary individuals who profoundly impact their community. The overarching theme aligns seamlessly with our season’s ethos “be Extraordinary” – celebrating ordinary people with extraordinary spirits.
In an era of divisiveness and uncertainty, it is essential to revisit narratives like ‘The Music Man.’ Its central character, Harold Hill, epitomizes the concept of an ‘extraordinary person.’ He begins as a dubious con-man selling dreams in River City but evolves significantly throughout his journey. The transformation he undergoes showcases that even flawed individuals have a tremendous capacity for change and growth.
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Our production is blessed by having an incredible cast comprising dedicated volunteers who breathed life into these characters. Watching each one learn, interpret their roles afresh, and adapt to changes whilst maintaining the essence of their characters has been nothing short of rewarding. Despite most of them being volunteers without any professional obligations towards performing arts, they demonstrated great perseverance and patience during rehearsals which are qualities hard to find even amongst many professionals.
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Each moment spent guiding them was filled with fulfillment; witnessing raw talents blossom into refined performers was indeed gratifying. Their passion for theatre transcended beyond individual performances; it infused vibrancy into every scene making 'The Music Man' not just another musical performance but rather a rich tapestry woven from dedication and hard work.
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Working on this show has reaffirmed my belief that ordinary people possess immense potential—they only require opportunities for expression. Our volunteers came from diverse backgrounds yet were united under one common purpose—to create a remarkable rendition of The Music Man—and they did so beautifully! This process bore testament not only to their stunning talent but also highlighted their capacity for growth, marking them truly as ‘extraordinary.’
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I am confident that you'll enjoy watching these incredible actors depict this heart-warming story just as much I enjoyed directing it—a tale celebrating human spirit painted across vibrant sets brought alive by extraordinarily dedicated souls!
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My heartfelt gratitude goes out once again towards all those involved in bringing this grand performance onto stage—the cast members who threw themselves into every rehearsal session wholeheartedly, the crew who never stop creating on and off the stage, the entire team for bringing this show to life!
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Thank you for joining us today—I hope you leave feeling inspired by these everyday heroes we call our cast members—their dedication embodying everything we envisage while exploring themes around extraordinary people.
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JP Thibodeau
Director
THE COMPANY
THE CAST
Ti Moune Abiola Famakinwa
Daniel Beauxhomme Joshua Jack Natabio
Mama Euralie Chantal Palmer
Mama Euralie Understudy/ Ensemble Nyanza Austin-Bishop
Tonton Julian Wari Willie-Pepple
Papa Ge Promona Swati
Asaka Joanne Marillier
Asaka Understudy/ Ensemble Crystal Taverner
Agwe Harold Kalinga
Erzulie Camela Deng
Andrea Nicole Phenix
Young Ti Moune Thalia Cortez
Ensemble Raina Murandali
Ensemble Marco Mosca
Ensemble Jolene Anderson
Ensemble Emily Del Rosario
Ensemble Eshiqa Rajabali
Ensemble Gemma Liaw
Ensemble Zahra Jiwa
Ensemble Katelyn Wan
Ensemble Keysha Swanswon
Ensemble Adrian Houghton
Ensemble Trina Remata
Ensemble Arrianna Lamoureux
Ensemble Samuel Jones
Ensemble Raine Vardeleon
Ensemble Andrea Mendez-Molero
Ensemble Autumn Xenis
Ensemble Allysha Nolasco
THE CREW
Director Janelle Cooper
Choreographer Dee-Ann Weekes
Musical Director Dallas Hayes-Sparks
Stage Manager Midori O'Connor
Asst. Stage Manager Darren Partible
Asst. Stage Manager Maya Lakhu
Asst. Stage Manager Chloe Zhu
Asst.Stage Manager Rawd Almasoud
Costume Designer Sarah Uwadiae
Costume Associate Cathy Handford
Costume Asst. Darcie Howe
Makeup Designer
Hair Designer Cat Bentley
Hair Asst.
Property Master
Set Designer
Set Asst.
Set Builder Josh Bailey
Set Support Nathan Snyders-Blok
Set Support
Lighting Designer
Asst. Lighting Designer
Lighting Operator Jo Ackerman
Sound Design & Programming
Sound Operator Paul Davies
Sound Operator Aretha Smith
Sound Operator Rahim Manji
Fight Director Rico Pfieffer
Intimacy Director Anastasia St.Amand
Artistic Producer JP Thibodeau
Artistic Associate Nickolas Bishop
Box Office & Facility Supervisor Tanecia Cromwell
Marketing Director & Graphic Design Jennifer Merio
Marketing Coordinator Mackenzie Devlin
Office Admin & Accounting Eva Stieber
Show Photography Tim Nguyen
MEET THE TEAM
MEET THE TEAM
SUPPORTERS, DONORS & CONTRIBUTORS
GOVERNMENT SUPPORTERS
PRIVATE SECTOR SUPPORTERS
MEDIA SUPPORTERS
DONORS, SUPPORTERS & CONTRIBUTORS
Occasional Notes Productions
Calgary Arts Development
Paul Davies
Teresa O’Regan
Gregory Smith
Clarice Siebens
Lane Olafson
Hesson Persaud
Corinne Spence
Janine Labossiere
Frank Fowler
The Wawanesa Mutual Life Insurance Co.
M.E.G Energy/Kenneth Wilson
Maria Shaw
Blue Spruce Investments Ltd.
Ann Farebrother
Maureen Morris
Ella Quinn
Kirk Schmidt
Melissa Smith
THANK YOU TO...
THANK YOU TO...
Elayne Fischer
Lydia Marshall-Browne
Morpheus Theatre
Margaret Harper
Workshop Theatre
Jacquie Brennan
And thank you to ALL of our extraordinary volunteers - your time and efforts help make the magic happen!