Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!
By: Genevieve Rafter Keddy Jun. 04, 2012
More than 20 years after its premiere, Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens have re-invented their first musical with Tony-nominated director Thomas Kail (In the Heights, Lombardi, Magic/Bird), choreographer Bradley Rapier (So You Think You Can Dance, Jesus Christ Superstar) and new orchestrations by music director Lynne Shankel (Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Altar Boyz). Once On This Island just opened last night, June 3, and runs through Sunday, June 24, 2012.
American Idol finalist Syesha Mercado plays Ti Moune, and Broadway veteran Darius de Haas portrays Agwe. De Haas was seen on Broadway in Rent (Collins/Angel/Benny), Dreamgirls (C.C. White), Kiss of the Spider Woman, Encore's Broadway Bash and Carousel (Mr. Snow) at Lincoln Center. Kevin R. Free plays Tonton Julian. Free was named a Person of the Year in 2010 by NYTheatre.com for noteworthy contributions to New York Theater. In NYC, Free was featured in From My Hometown, The Conjure Man Dies and Taking a Chance on Love. Adam Jacobs plays Daniel. Jacobs is currently featured in Disney's The Lion King on Broadway. Jacobs played Marius in the recent Broadway revival of Les Misérables and starred in the title role of the world premiere of Disney's Aladdin.
BroadwayWorld brings you full coverage from opening night below!
Once On This Island will be performed eight times a week, Wednesday through Sunday. For more information, go to www.papermill.org.
Photo Credit: Genevieve Rafter Keddy
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
Kenita R. Miller, Courtney Harris and Kevin R. Free
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
Kenita R. Miller, Courtney Harris and Kevin R. Free
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
AureLia Williams, Alan Mingo, Jr., Saycon Sengbloh and Darius de Haas
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
AureLia Williams, Alan Mingo Jr., Saycon Sengbloh and Darius de Haas
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
Courtney Harris, Kenita R. Miller, Syesha Mercado, Adam Jacobs, Courtney Reed and Kevin R. Free
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
Courtney Harris, Kenita R. Miller, Syesa Mercado, Adam Jacobs, Courtney Reed, Kevin R. Free and Darius de Haas
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
Alan Mingo, Jr., AureLia Williams, Jerold E. Solomon, Courtney Harris, Kenira R. Miller, Syesha Mercado, Adam Jacobs and Courtney Reed
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
Lynn Ahrens (Book and Lyrics)
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
Lynn Ahrens and Thomas Kail (Director)
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
Thomas Kail, Lynn Ahrens and Lin-Manuel Miranda
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
Donyale Werle (Scenic Design) and Thomas Kail
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
Lin- Manuel Miranda
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
Thomas Kail, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Alex Lacamoire
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
Jessica Jahn (Costume Design) and Marc Kimelman (Associate Choreographer)
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
Stephen Flaherty (Music)
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
Lynne Shankel and Stephen Flaherty
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
Mark S. Hoebee (Producing Artistic Director), Stephen Flaherty, and Patrick Parker (Associate Artistic Director)
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
Larry Elardo, Stephen Hoebee-Elardo, Ashley Hoebee-Elardo and Mark S. Hoebee
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
Thomas Kail, Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty and Mark S. Hoebee
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
Jessica Jahn, Thomas Kail and Donyale Werle
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
Courtney Harris with her family Angela McNeal and Priscilla McNeal
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
Bradley Rapier (Choreographer)
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
Gregory Philpotts and AureLia Williams
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
Courtney Reed and Mark S. Hoebee
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
Mark S. Hoebee and Saycon Sengbloh
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
Mark S. Hoebee and Saycon Sengbloh
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
Courtney Harris, Syesha Mercado and Montana Byrne
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
Courtney Harris, Syesha Mercado and Montana Byrne
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
Adam Jacobs and Syesha Mercado
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
Adam Jacobs and Syesha Mercado
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
Mark S. Hoebee and Syesha Mercado
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "Photo Coverage: Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Celebrates Opening Night!")
Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty with the cast of Once On This Island-Darius de Haas, Kevin R. Free, Courtney Harris, Adam Jacobs, Syesha Mercado, Kenita R. Miller, Alan Mingo, Jr., Courtney Reed, Saycon Sengbloh, Jerold E. Solomon, AureLia Williams and Montana Byrne
Videos