'Once On This Island' revival [Album Review]

A perfect mix of song and story, Once On This Island is a hidden gem of the musical theatre world.

Telling the story of different worlds living on an Island in the Caribbean, Once On This Island is about the peasants and the wealthy residents.

The story is based on the 1985 novel My Love, My Love; or the Peasant Girl by Rosa Guy. Ti Moune is a peasant who saves the wealthy Daniel from a flood. The two fall in love; however, because of class system on the island, they cannot marry.

The show also has a mythological aspect; the gods interacting with humans orchestrate some of the life events.

With music by Stephen Flannery, and book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, Once On This Island is the perfect mix of song and story.

The cast recording for the musical currently playing at the Circle in the Square in New York City was released on Feb. 23, 2018, and is on Broadway Records.

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From the first chords to the mixing of story and song, “We Dance” is all that you could want in an opening number. The way that the story is woven into the song helps set the mood for the tale you will hear.

The wave sound at the start of the number and the god’s voices telling you the story, “One Small Girl” is a song that is the perfect beginning to the musical. This tune is a mix of dialogue and singing, making it a great way to envision the island world that was created.

Newcomer Hailey Kilgore sings “Waiting for Life” in a way that is a mix of perfected tone and raw voice. You can really feel that she has a connection to her character, and the driving drumbeat along with the ensemble only helps this song.

“And the Gods Heard Her Prayer/Rain” starts with all the gods interacting, each one having a different personality. This rendition is fantastic! Quentin Earl Darrington really shines as the character Agwe in Rain, bringing his vibrato with the energy of his voice.

The ensemble really helps to tell the story of “Discovering Daniel/Pray;” they are featured all across both of the songs. The harmonies sung by the cast are exceptional.

The number “Forever Yours” starts as a duet sung by Kilgore as Ti Moune and Isaac Powellas Daniel, then transitions to a trio with Merle Dandridge as Papa Ge, bringing such a different tone to the number with her voice.

In “The Sad Tale of the Beauxhommes,” the ensemble is giving you the story of the island where the show takes place. Two different worlds coexist on this island. As the story unfolds, you hear from both sides, the wealthy and the peasants, how it all started.

Starting with a piano and Kilgore giving dialogue, “Ti Moune” is a ballad about Ti Moune leaving her part of the island. Sung by Kenita R. Miller and Phillip Boykin as Ti Moune’s adopted parents, you can hear the gentleness in their voices. Kilgore’s voice joins in this song with passion and unbridled emotion.

The island beats with the sound of the drums, and a marvelous performance by Alex Newell, “Mamma Will Provide” is such a fun number. Newell has a soulful voice, which adds to the island vibe of the melody.

The story of “Some Say” is Ti Moune’s journey to the city, featuring Mia Williamson's grand performance as young Ti Moune.

Starting with only the voice of Lea Salonga as Erzulie, “The Human Heart” is a beautiful song. Salonga’s tone and the quality of her voice are very much suited to this ballad. This is another number that features the great harmonies of the ensemble.

The vibraphone starting the song and the tone of the storytellers on “Gossip” is another story-based song. The music and the lyrics with the addition of the voices highlight the gossipy nature of the tune.

Powell as Daniel tells about “Some Girls” in his solo performance in the show. Powell has a tenor voice and a very nice vibrato that really shines here.

Alysha Deslorieuxas Andrea really shines in “The Ball;” she has an aggressive tone in her voice much like her character.

The ballroom scene also has “Ti Moune’s Dance;” a song mostly played by the orchestra. All the instruments work well together in this piece.

Deslorieux imbues her voice with a tinge of hopelessness in “When We Are Wed.” Kilgore’s part of the song transmits her yearning, with tone and emotion.

Merle Dandridge mixes edginess into “Forever Yours (Reprise),” with the sharpness of her voice. The way that everyone comes in at the end of the song, although singing different parts, seems like they are all one voice of this complex melody.

The Islanders say goodbye to Ti Moune in “Part of Us.” This is one of the more emotional songs on the album, taking the production number to a new level.

The closing number “Why We Tell the Story” has everyone coming together; the voices work particularly well with the band on this song. This is a great way to end the show, with the energy and the emotions of the cast.

This is one of my favorite musicals, and with the revival, I was excited to get another cast recording. The new orchestrations of this show are phenomenal, and they bring a new excitement to the music. I love every moment of this cast recording.

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