Once on This Island

Hosted by Artistry

“Who knows how high those mountains climb? Who knows how deep those rivers flow? Who knows how wrong a dream can go? Ti Moune.”

Artistry has always touted their drive to be a widely recognized venue for being a timely and worthwhile producer of art in the Twin Cities and they have certainly achieved that goal with a deeply moving production of Once on This Island.

Under the direction of Kelli Foster Warder, this production does what any strong show should do, place the focus on the storytelling aspect of the story - not just the technical elements. The very talented cast and creatives have brought to life a vibrant island paradise that, for better or worse, harbors a tragic, and sometimes all to realistic, truth about the inequalities and disparities between classes that exist in our world.

The artistic team has masterfully created two very distinct settings. One, a beautiful color-filled island utopia where the villagers gather to tell their stories, bathed in every color of the rainbow. The other, a sterilized and stark world of the upper-class where only bright and blinding lights fill the space.

This is mirrored through the use of Zamora Simmons’ costuming of the characters. Choosing to showcase the peasants of the island in a mix of patterns and colors. The designs draw the audience into a community of people who we see as happy to simply exist and who share what little they have with one another. As well as providing a stark contrast to the brightness with the strict white clothing clad French members of the Hotel Beauxhomme. A place where traditional values outweigh individual wants, desires, and dreams.

Technical elements aside, Once on This Island has always been about the music, considered perhaps one of the most underrated scores in the Broadway canon. The cast certainly does not waste a note as they are filled with energy and devotion to telling this story with the greatest enthusiasm possible. They provide a wonderful blend of harmonies and soaring voices that will make you remember why theater is so powerful to experience live.

Once on This Island is a fantastic evening of theater that is sure to enchant and delight audiences of every age.