* All ethnicities are strongly encouraged to audition and open to ALL ages. *
WHY WE TELL THE STORY...
Winter in Westchester heats up with the regional community theatre premiere of the contemporary, Caribbean-flavored musical, Once on This Island. With a book and score penned by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (the Broadway-bound ROCKY, Ragtime), Once on This Island is a highly original and theatrical adaptation of the popular fairy tale The Little Mermaid. In almost non-stop song and dance, the show tells the story of Ti Moune, a peasant girl who rescues and falls in love with Daniel, a wealthy boy from the other side of her island. When Daniel is returned to his people, the fantastical gods who rule the island guide Ti Moune on a quest to test the strength of her love against the powerful forces of prejudice, hatred and death. Imagine Romeo and Juliet plopped in the French Antilles, with calypso beats and tribal dances supplanting iambic pentameter and amorous soliloquies.
AUDITIONS
November 5th and 7th 7-10 PM
November 9th 3-5 PM
ArtsWestchester
31 Mamaroneck Ave
White Plains, NY
(5 mins walking distance from White Plains Train Station)
ALL ROLES OPEN
Rehearsals starting November 17th
Mon - Thurs 7-10 PM
Sundays 3-9 PM
Performances at the Grinton I Will Library
1500 Central Park Ave
Yonkers, NY
January 17th - 24th (4 performances)
CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS
Ti Moune: (15-24) Female Lead. A naive peasant girl in Haiti whose life is being led/helped by the Gods. The heroine. Young, full of restless energy and fervour, she is immature and even a little selfish in her single-minded quest for freedom. Initially her love for Daniel is little more than a focus for her dreams, but she grows in maturity, poise and genuine love later Spontaneous. Requires a strong dancer. Belt – Vocal Range – G (below C) to E (2 above C)
Daniel Beauxhomme: (17-28) Male Lead A wealthy Haitian, who is cared for by Ti Moune after a car crash. Sensitive and poetic, he must be quite convincing as a romantic interest for the spirited Ti Moune. His love for her is almost genuine, fuelled by her romantic view of him, and his betrayal of her is not cruelty but thoughtlessness and weakness of character Tenor – Vocal Range – B (2 below C) to F Sharp (above C)
Erzulie: (25-45) Goddess of Love. A mentor for Ti Moune. Ethereal. Loving. The most approachable of the gods, but ultimately no less egocentric; by love she means romance. Daniel is her choice for Ti Moune and in the end her concern is to prove her own power against that of Papa Ge. Requires a strong Soprano – Vocal Range – B (below C) to E (2 above C)
Agwe: (25-60) God of Water. A mentor for Ti Moune. Larger than life. Mysterious. Given that the sea and the weather are the most unpredictable and powerful elements of the peasants’ lives, they imagine Agwe as a commanding presence, but he holds himself rather aloof. Requires a very strong singer with a dramatic voice and big range; Baritone/Bass – Vocal Range – B ( 2 below C ) to E ( above C )
Asaka: (30-60) Mother of the Earth. A mentor for Ti Moune. Spunky. Happy. Personifies the peasants’ connection to the land, she is generous and good-humoured on the surface, but like all the gods feared by the islanders, her “motherly” facade is not to be trusted. Requires a strong singer – Vocal Range – A ( below C ) to E ( 2 above C )
Papa Ge: (30-50) God of Death. Antagonist to the other Gods. Embodying the fears of all the peasants, and easy to dislike, the storytellers will “cast” an outsider in the group, probably against his will, and he will carry some of that cynicism and bitterness into his “bargain” with Ti Moune. Vocal Range – C sharp ( below C ) to G ( above C )
Mama Euralie: (30-50) Ti Moune’s adoptive mother, protective, superstitious, fiercely loving and strong willed, her similarities often lead to clashes with Ti Moune. Caring, loving – a typical mother. Vocal Range – F sharp ( below C ) to B ( above C )
Tonton Julian: (30-50) Tonton is a French affectionate term for Uncle. He is Ti Moune’s adoptive father, and from him she has learnt the sacrificial love she demonstrates later. Caring, loving – a typical father. Vocal Range – A ( 2 below C ) to E ( above C )
Storytellers: (All ages) Narrators of the story of Ti Moune.
Young Ti Moune: (7 - 13) Also plays the child for whom the story is told. Energetic, confident, and sweet with a strong speaking and singing voice. Vocal Range – E flat ( above C ) to D Flat ( 2 above C )
Andrea Devereaux: (18-28) Daniel’s opposite – she seems cold at first, but turns out to be both humane and determined – she pities Ti Moune, but despite having little affection for Daniel, she will not allow sentiment to interfere with her well-ordered plan for marriage. Vocal range – B ( Below C ) to D ( 2 above C )
Monsieur Beauxhomme: (40-60) Daniel’s father. For the peasants, very much part of another world, they portray him as quite callous and distant – a pantomime villain ( therefore probably doubled with Armand in the Tale of the Beauxhommes ) Vocal range – A ( 2 below C ) to D ( above C )
