Theater: 'Once On This Island' Sends A Warm Breeze From The Caribbean

The exuberant revival of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty’s tropical musical is a tonic for chilly times.

The dreaded polar vortex has descended on America’s Northeast; the days are getting shorter, the wind is biting, and the thought of getting away to the balmy Caribbean is more alluring than ever. For a quick theatrical getaway to a tropical island, head to the rousing revival of Once on This Island. You don’t even have to worry about security lines and airline cancellations (just subway delays).

Plenty of heart

Ahrens and Flaherty’s musical debuted in 1990 and made a star of leading lady LaChanze. The female protagonist in this new and wonderfully intimate production at Circle in the Square is played by 18-year-old Hailey Kilgore. Singing and dancing with plenty of heart, she’s a worthy successor to LaChanze.

Lilting melodies

It’s a simple story, but Ahrens and Flaherty’s Caribbean rhythms and lilting melodies combine with Michael Arden’s imaginative direction of the energetic cast to create a magical production. Thanks to the in-the-round staging, a performer might sing just a few feet from you.

Isaac Powell and Merle Dandridge in Once on This Island

Arden, an actor-turned-director who also helmed the terrific Deaf West revival of Spring Awakening, has a number of theatrical tricks up his sleeve. Before the show even starts, he helps set the scene with food cooking on a grill and a live goat being led around the sandy stage by an actor. The production feels grounded in authentic Caribbean traditions. Arden and the creative team spent time in Haiti, and the trip obviously benefited the staging.

Youthful excitement

Ahrens and Flaherty are best known for the musical Ragtime. Their Caribbean-influenced songs for Once on This Island show their versatility. Kilgore brims with youthful excitement in her big song, Waiting for Life. Even more enjoyable are Pray and other jubilant ensemble numbers vibrantly choreographed by Camille A. Brown.

Alex Newell, Lea Salonga, and Merle Dandridge in Once on This Island

As well as Kilgore, leading man Powell is a talented young Broadway newcomer who can sing, dance, and act with gusto. In a supporting role as the goddess Erzulie, Lea Salonga does a beautiful rendition of The Human Heart. The original Miss Saigon star still has one of the loveliest voices on Broadway. While she seems to enjoy being a team player here, the show would have benefited from a few more solo moments for Salonga.

Beyond the tempests

In his well-written director’s note, Arden mentions the recent hurricanes, storms, and earthquakes that have hit the U.S. and the Caribbean. For him, Once on This Island shows how “the good we do can echo and reverberate long after our lives are over.”

This uplifting musical celebrates storytelling, caregiving, and the power of love. It’s a journey to an exotic island where most of the residents are poor but lead lives filled with joy and passion. The actors in Arden’s outstanding revival share those inspiring qualities, too.
Once on This Island is at Circle in the Square, 1633 Broadway, New York, NY 10019. For tickets call Telecharge: (800) 447-7400.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.