"What a delight it is to enter the world of ONCE ON THIS ISLAND!" raves The New York Times. Time Out New York cheers, "After seeing this imaginative and dynamic musical, you may feel once is not enough!"
This is the sweeping theatrical power of ONCE ON THIS ISLAND - the universal tale of Ti Moune (2018 Tony Award nominee Hailey Kilgore), a fearless peasant girl in search of her place in the world, and ready to risk it all for love. Guided by the mighty island gods (played by Tony Award winner Lea Salonga, Glee's Alex Newell, American Idol's Tamyra Gray, and Cats' Quentin Early Darrington), Ti Moune sets out on a remarkable journey to reunite with the man who has captured her heart.
The groundbreaking vision of two-time Tony Award nominated director Michael Arden (Spring Awakening revival) and acclaimed choreographer Camille A. Brown (NBC's Jesus Christ Superstar Live) conjures up "a place where magic is possible and beauty is apparent for all to see!" (The Huffington Post).
Gather around for ONCE ON THIS ISLAND - the musical NY1 hails as "exhilarating theater! It's impossible to resist!" And where the timeless power of theatre brings us together, moves our hearts and helps us weather the storm.
Hailey Kilgore makes an exultant Broadway debut as Ti Moune, expectant with hope, her open-faced vivacity crushed by the pain of her rejection. It's quietly devastating. Glorious, too, if under-used, is the show's biggest star name Lea Salonga, who plays the Goddess of Love with an enveloping warmth and rich vocals, while Phillip Boykin brings a warm gravitas to the role of Tim Moune's adoptive father.
Overall 'Once on this Island' felt more like a song cycle than a musical. Each song felt similar, with chaotic choreography (by Camille A. Brown), excessive amounts of haze, an over-stressed parallel between Ti Moune, her younger self (Mia Williamson), and the doll version of Ti Moune that her younger self carried around, a loud final note from the pit to punctuate the ending, and a dramatic light cue. After a while it felt more like a concert than a work of fiction.
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