Opening night for Once on This Island, run by Beyond The Page Theatre Company, made my Friday and Saturday evening very special. The show was gripping for only costing $10 for students and $15 for adults.
When I first walked into the theatre, I was amazed by the set. There were two levels to the set, surrounded by staircases and buildings made out of wood. There were hanging sheets to encapsulate the idea of a rural island. Flowers took over the buildings, along with tall paper-mache palm trees. During the opening song, as the wind and rain got stronger and the lights turned bluer, a palm tree split in half and fell onto stage. It made the set and life of the show even more real; I even saw surprised faces throughout the audience.
The cast was a double cast, cast A and B. I watched cast A on Friday, May 1 at 7:00pm and Cast B on May 3 at the same time. Each cast had a lot of unique features, making it hard for me to determine which cast performed better. Each cast was so alive and clearly put a lot of effort into the show. Each song and dance from both shows captured my full attention. The costumes helped me fully grasp the island-vibe. Actors and actresses were wearing tank tops, Hawaiian shirts, jean shorts, and other summer clothing. The Gods of the show had amazing costumes, each one being so different from each other so you could see the strict difference in them.
Certain parts of the ensemble were the same for both casts. Two or three ensemble members played as narrators so you could get guided along the show with no misunderstanding. The narrators were easy to understand, along with each cast member performing so expressive that the plot was easy to follow. The show brought in children to act with the cast! During the show, Ti Moune, switched from a child to a young woman. The child who played young Ti Moune in each show was so breathtaking
Once on This Island had a decent amount of comedic relief, making me giggle during certain moments of the show. It had enough laughter to help make the show go quicker; I never found myself wanting it to end or waiting for it to be over.
