Tony Award-Winning Musical, Once on This Island Comes to The Arden Theatre

-Courtesy of En Route Marketing

The 2018 Tony Award winner for Best Revival of a Musical, Once on This Island, makes its way to the F. Otto Haas Stage at Arden Theatre Company (40 N. 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA) starting May 16. Following the eight Tony nominations it received for its Broadway debut in 1990, including for Best Musical, Book, and Score, the revival of Once on This Island takes Philadelphia audiences ages 12 and up on a vibrant journey of a young girl searching for her place in the world. Directed by Amina Robinson, the first Black woman to win a Barrymore Award for Outstanding Direction of a Musical for The Color Purple, the theatrical Caribbean production unfolds May 16th through June 16th.

With an effervescent score by Stephen Flaherty with book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, inspired by Rosa Guy’s novel My Love, My Love, the 90-minute full-hearted musical tells the story of Ti Moune (Nadia  Ra’Shaun), an orphaned peasant girl of the French Antilles who rescues and falls in love with Daniel Beauxhomme (Ethan B. Walker), a wealthy young man from the other side of the island. The people of the island are divided by color and class. However, when Ti Moune pursues Daniel, who returns to his people following his rescue, she is shunned because of her lowly status. Unbeknownst to Ti Moune, the pompous gods who preside over the island make a bet with one another over which is stronger, love or death, the stakes being Ti Moune’s life. Guided by four Gods: Ezrulie (Ryane Nicole Studivant), a warm and ethereal Goddess of Love, Asaka (Tiara J. Greene), the irrepressible Mother of the Earth, Agwé (Curtis Wiley), the dignified God of Water, and Papa Ge (Jessica Johnson), the mesmerizing Spirit of Death, Ti Moune embarks on a quest that will test the strength of her love against the powerful forces of prejudice, hatred, and even death. 

“Once on This Island is a beautiful, heartfelt love story about love conquering death, placed squarely within the context of the colonialist aftershocks of colorism and a clearly defined color-caste system. In many regards it is akin to a French Antilles Romeo and Juliet tale,” says director, Amina Robinson. “However, bubbling just below the surface of this island story is a far more potent story of how a people, bathed in a powerful legacy, form and rely on “community” to rise from repeated devastation. In light of all that is happening in Haiti currently, this exploration becomes even more important.” 

Individual tickets begin at $60, with discounts available for students, groups of 10, seniors, children, and teens. Tickets are available online at ardentheatre.org, by phone at 215.922.1122, or at the box office at Arden Theatre Company at 40 N. 2nd Street.

Special programming includes: 

Saturday, June 1, 2024, 8 p.m.– Teen Night! $15 tickets for ages 13-18 (Join us after the performance for a talkback with actors from the  show!).

Thursday, June 6, 2024, 7 p.m. – Young Friends Night! Use code: YFARDEN for $30 tickets (Arden Young Friends is designed for audience  members 40 and under, and includes a pre-show networking event).

Friday, June 7, 2024, 7 p.m. – Audio Description and Open Captioning Available.

Saturday, June 8, 2024, 2 p.m. – Audio Description and Open Captioning Available.