A child’s fairytale blossoms into a full-blown musical as Once on This Island appears on Milwaukee’s Cabot Theater stage, courtesy of Skylight Music Theatre. The show is bursting with wild colors, energy and fantastical characters. This Caribbean atmosphere is perfectly timed to help Wisconsin patrons forget about the chilling temperatures and snowdrifts outside.
This one-act, 1990 musical takes place in the French Antilles, where the lilting accents among a handful of peasants bring this story to life. The plot often has been compared to the original tale of “The Little Mermaid,” as told by Hans Christian Anderson, and Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. In an advance article printed in The Milwaukee Journal, director Bill Theisen said the story reminded him more of “the circle of life,” as seen in Disney’s “The Lion King.” With this in mind, it is no wonder that the set is dominated by a three-story “O,” which is reflected in the tribal fire gathering below. The peasants cluster around a camp fire during the storm. In an attempt to calm a frightened young girl, the peasants begin to tell the story of another little girl who, like her, was caught in an intense storm.
The audience learns that this island is divided – geographically by mountains and rivers, but also culturally by the color of a person’s skin. The darker-skinned peasants live on one side of the island, while the lighter-skinned (and more “cultured”) descendants of the French dominate the other. The entire cast is comprised of African-Americans.
The island is also occupied by gods. While gods often are sometimes imagined as staying high above the Earth, looking down and influencing the actions of those below, these gods are solidly on the ground. There is Agwe (Shawn Holmes), god of the water; Asaka (Raven Dockery), who seems to govern the earth and its creatures; Erzulie (Cynthia Cobb), who in this case is the goddess of love, and Papa Ge (Bill Jackson), who represents death. In a difference of opinion, Erzulie claims that love can conquer all, even death. Papa Ge (the god of death) scoffs at this notion, and takes the bet.
Ti Moune , the fable’s young girl, is raised by an elderly peasant couple who found her sitting in a tree. Seemingly unaffected by the ordeal that has almost swept everyone off the island, Ti Moune and the couple (Lee Palmer and Sheri Williams Pannell) live peacefully. (Although this isn’t a professional debut for Makayla Davis as Ti Moune, she certainly adds her share of charm and enthusiasm to the show.)
One fateful day, a much older Ti Moune (Kanova Johnson) is distracted by a young man driving along the beach. The carefree (and careless) Daniel (Sean Jackson) has a car wreck. He is badly injured. Ti Moune, convinced she is the only one who can save him, stays by his side until the boy’s father can retrieve him. Meanwhile, Ti Moune’s effort to save Daniel’s life eventually leads her to makes a deal with the devil.
Fables and fairytales are often designed to incorporate some very adult lessons into their tales. This musical brings out themes such as the importance of family, the strong reactions to love, rejection and grief, and desire. It also is overlaid with a spiritual aspect, as the peasants submit to the gods’ desires while also asking the gods for assistance. Ti Moune’s faith is what keeps her going in her perilous trek to Daniel’s house.
Director Bill Theisen keeps things flowing in a smooth, rhythmic way. Singing and dancing are integral to the musical’s success. In the hands of co-choreographers Bill Theisen and Lee Palmer), the dancing is drawn from Caribbean and African cultures. The show’s 80 minutes flow by quickly, so this reviewer’s only quibble with Theisen’s approach is that the audience is so distracted initially by the colorful, swirling dancers and loud music that much of the early exposition is lost. Audiences are likely to be puzzled by the show’s first 15 minutes. Thankfully, everything becomes clear after the opening scenes.
The dancing, singing and acting of this talented cast are excellent. One especially notable singer is Shawn Holmes as Agwe (god of the waters). His solo is one of the show’s highlights. So, too, are the wonderful voices of Sheri Williams Pannell and Lee Palmer as the elderly couple. The production makes a simple but exquisite transition regarding Ti Moune. She scampers offstage as a child and returns as the young woman she is about to become. Petite, trim and possessing a much stronger voice than one would expect from someone her size, Kanova Johnson succeeds in entrancing us. Not so much for Sean Jackson as Daniel. Although he looks the part of a handsome, strapping youth, he doesn’t seem to click with Ti Moune. Later in the show, his cold, offhanded dismissal of Ti Moune (which is called for in the script) seems unnecessarily heartless.
Brilliantly hued costumes, engaging lighting and a strong orchestra complete this fine production.
