Once on This Island Rehearsal
Students rehearse for Once on This Island, which will be performed on April 10, 12, 13 and 14.
The Mountain Brook High School theater department’s production of Kiss Me, Kate was a huge success last year, and this year’s show is expected to be nothing less. This year’s musical, Once on This Island, will be performed on April 10, 12, 13 and 14. Tickets are available at the high school.
Composed by Stephen Flaherty, the musical is set in the French Antilles of the Caribbean Sea and tells the tale of a young peasant girl who falls in love with a wealthy Frenchman when she rescues him from a deadly car accident and nurses him back to health. The peasant girl, Ti Moune (Hannah Mouyal), begged the gods to send her true love, and the result of a dispute between Papa Ge, god of death (Hunter Stanley), and Erzulie, goddess of love (Mary Kathryn Parrott), results in the gods tampering with the lives of the mortals below. With the assistance of Asaka, goddess of the Earth (Hannah Williams), and Agwe, god of water (Coleman Escue), they send Ti Moune on a thrilling journey to conquer death and find true love. Papa Ge ensures that Ti Moune will have to choose between the life of Daniel, the Frenchman she loves (Reid Parrott), and her own. Will love prevail, or will death’s dark dagger come out on top?
Hannah Mouyal, president of the Thespians society, said she excited for the show and her lead role.
“It’s such a blessing to have gotten this part because I started from the ensemble my sophomore year,” she said, “It’s crazy to think that I’ve come from not even having a name to playing the role of Ti Moune in just two years.”
Director Jesse Tilton stresses that production would not be possible without the ensemble.
“Every person is integral to the show, and our cast could not be more talented this year,” he said.
With the assistance of choir director John Kincaid and choreographer Delle Kincaid, Tilton selected Once on This Island because he knew the musical offers a time for everyone to shine. The chorus transforms into trees, huts and even tropical storms, which helps the audience understand how important the ensemble is. There will be no set changes – the ensemble takes care of that.
Kincaid claims that “this is the best casting job [they] have ever done,” and the cast is positive that this year’s production will not disappoint.
