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ENLARGE
Richard Packham
Come to the Caribbean! Come to a magic island of love and legend, rhythm and romance! Come to the Betty Long Unruh Theatre for the latest production of the Umpqua Actors Community Theatre “Once On This Island,” which opened last night.
It’s an experience not to be missed.
Director Marianne Jones with her excellent cast and crew has put together a marvelous evening to tell the legendary story of the island girl Ti Moune (pronounced ‘tea-MOON’) who loves so much that she exchanges her soul to save the life of the boy she loves. The story is ultimately based on the Hans Christian Andersen tale “The Little Mermaid.” As made into a musical from a Rosa Guy novel, with book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty, it becomes a Caribbean legend of how love and faith and sacrifice — with the help of the gods of earth, water, love and death — ultimately conquer loss and betrayal.
The entire story is told in song and dance, with almost no speaking. Fast-moving and gripping, with frequent costume changes to allow the cast to assume various roles of peasant, god, storyteller, even representations of rain or wind or jungle birds, the show is a feast of visual beauty. The set is starkly simple — just a painted background of tropical trees. But on the simple stage we get a continuing writhing, singing, rhythmic dance that seduces us into the world of tropical romance.
Jones shows her fine director’s hand in the many bits of business that add to the action. She also made a terrific decision in choosing Taylor Mead as the choreographer (Mead, a student at Roseburg High School, also shines in the role of Papa Ge, the god of death). The dancing, which continues through almost the entire show, is not just a secondary element, it is primary, and Mead has shown marvelous imagination in the choreography. The solo dance of Ti Moune before a hostile audience of rich islanders is one of the most unusual and beautiful dance scenes I have ever seen.
The fine acting and singing top off the other excellent elements in this show. Zoe Wilson as Ti Moune is just right in the part. Other especially outstanding performances, in addition to Wilson and Mead, are by Hope Matthews as the young Ti Moune, Steven Pappas as the god of water, Bethany Barton as Mother Earth (her highlight is the rousing song “Mama Will Provide”). The entire cast is top quality, although some singers had occasional difficulty meeting the vocal demands of the score.
The four-piece orchestra, directed by Tim Wilson, provided the instrumental support for the singers, lending that wonderful Caribbean lilt to the atmosphere on stage.
Like any legend, the story of Ti Moune and her undying love inspires and touches us in very basic ways. It is not often that I feel tears welling up during a theatrical performance, but I had to wipe away a few during this show — not in sorrow, but in the pleasure of watching something so lovely and moving.
If you enjoy theater, don’t miss this wonderful show! And bring the kids. If they liked “Cinderella,” they will love Ti Moune!
It’s an experience not to be missed.
Director Marianne Jones with her excellent cast and crew has put together a marvelous evening to tell the legendary story of the island girl Ti Moune (pronounced ‘tea-MOON’) who loves so much that she exchanges her soul to save the life of the boy she loves. The story is ultimately based on the Hans Christian Andersen tale “The Little Mermaid.” As made into a musical from a Rosa Guy novel, with book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty, it becomes a Caribbean legend of how love and faith and sacrifice — with the help of the gods of earth, water, love and death — ultimately conquer loss and betrayal.
The entire story is told in song and dance, with almost no speaking. Fast-moving and gripping, with frequent costume changes to allow the cast to assume various roles of peasant, god, storyteller, even representations of rain or wind or jungle birds, the show is a feast of visual beauty. The set is starkly simple — just a painted background of tropical trees. But on the simple stage we get a continuing writhing, singing, rhythmic dance that seduces us into the world of tropical romance.
Jones shows her fine director’s hand in the many bits of business that add to the action. She also made a terrific decision in choosing Taylor Mead as the choreographer (Mead, a student at Roseburg High School, also shines in the role of Papa Ge, the god of death). The dancing, which continues through almost the entire show, is not just a secondary element, it is primary, and Mead has shown marvelous imagination in the choreography. The solo dance of Ti Moune before a hostile audience of rich islanders is one of the most unusual and beautiful dance scenes I have ever seen.
The fine acting and singing top off the other excellent elements in this show. Zoe Wilson as Ti Moune is just right in the part. Other especially outstanding performances, in addition to Wilson and Mead, are by Hope Matthews as the young Ti Moune, Steven Pappas as the god of water, Bethany Barton as Mother Earth (her highlight is the rousing song “Mama Will Provide”). The entire cast is top quality, although some singers had occasional difficulty meeting the vocal demands of the score.
The four-piece orchestra, directed by Tim Wilson, provided the instrumental support for the singers, lending that wonderful Caribbean lilt to the atmosphere on stage.
Like any legend, the story of Ti Moune and her undying love inspires and touches us in very basic ways. It is not often that I feel tears welling up during a theatrical performance, but I had to wipe away a few during this show — not in sorrow, but in the pleasure of watching something so lovely and moving.
If you enjoy theater, don’t miss this wonderful show! And bring the kids. If they liked “Cinderella,” they will love Ti Moune!
Richard Packham of Dixonville is a retired college professor long active in local community theater who writes theater reviews for The News-Review.
