Feel the rhythm! With the cast we've lined up, Once on This Island is sure to be a magical, musical love story! Nominated for 8 Tony® Awards and winner of the Olivier Award, this is a joyous musical, powerful and full of life. From the award-winning creators of Ragtime, Suessical and the animated film Anastasia, Once On This Island is a tale about the power of true love - with an irresistible Caribbean beat.
OPENS MAY 30
TICKETS START AT JUST $25
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Meet the Islanders!
Darius de Haas (Agwe) is proud to celebrate his 20th anniversary with Once on This Island, having played the role of Daniel in the first national tour. Other Paper Mill productions: Children of Eden, Ain't Misbehavin'. Broadway: Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Carousel, Rent, The Gershwins' Fascinating Rhythm, and many more. Recent concerts: Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Disney Concert Hall.
Kevin R. Free (Tonton Julian) As writer/performer: The Moth Mainstage, Too Much Light Makes Baby Go Blind, (Not) Just a Day Like Any Other,You are in an open field, Face Value. Off Broadway: From My Hometown, Taking a Chance on Love, and many more.
Courtney Harris (Little Ti Moune) This is Courtney's Paper Mill Playhouse debut. She would like to thank her family, friends, and management team for being supportive of her artistic journey.
Adam Jacobs (Daniel Beauxhomme) is happy to be making his Paper Mill debut! Broadway: The Lion King (Simba), Les Miserables. National tours: The Lion King, Mamma Mia, Cinderella. Favorite regional credits: world premiere of Disney's Aladdin, Hot Mikado, Harvey Milk, Footloose.
Syesha Mercado (Ti Moune) Best-known for her memorable showing on season 7 of Fox's "American Idol," finishing as second runner-up. Later, she played Deena Jones in the national/international tour of Dreamgirls to great acclaim. In 2011 she made her feature-film debut in Dreams.
Kenita R. Miller (Mama Euralie) is thrilled to be back at Paper Mill! Broadway/Off Broadway: Merrily We Roll Along, Xanadu, The Color Purple, Dessa Rose, Langston in Harlem. National tours/regional: The Civil War, Woody Guthrie's American Songbook, Ragtime, Once on This Island.
Alan Mingo, Jr. (Papa Ge) recently starred as Donkey in DreamWorks' first national tour of Shrek: The Musical. Broadway: Sebastian in Disney's The Little Mermaid and Tom Collins in Rent (as well as both national tours). Regional: The Wiz; A Christmas Story: The Musical; Jaques Brel.
Courtney Reed (Andrea) is honored to be making her Paper Mill debut in such a beautiful show! She was last seen as Jasmine in the world premiere of Disney's full production of Aladdin, directed by Casey Nicholaw at the 5th Avenue Theatre. Courtney made her Broadway debut in Mamma Mia!
Saycon Sengbloh (Erzulie) Broadway: Fela!, Hair, Wicked, The Color Purple, Aida. National tours: Rent, What's on the Hearts of Men. Off Broadway: Hurt Village, Hair. Film/TV: American Gangster, Funny Valentines, "Law & Order," "Prince of Motor City." Regional: The Color Purple, Jar the Floor, Dinah Was.
Jerold E. Solomon (Armand) is excited to be making his second appearance at Paper Mill. Broadway: South Pacific. National tours: Ragtime, Big River, Annie. Regional: 25th Annual... Spelling Bee; Cutman: A Boxing Musical; Sweet Charity; Gross Indecency; You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.
Aurelia Williams (Asaka) Recent credits: Gloria in DreamWorks' Madagascar Live, All Shook Up. Off Broadway: Sacred Duke Ellington Concert; Menopause: The Musical; They Wrote That?; Pirates of Penzance. Regional: Effie in Dreamgirls; Caroline, or Change; Once on This Island.
Once On This Island will be directed by Tony nominee Thomas Kail. Kail was nominated for a 2008 Tony Award for his direction of In the Heights. Kail also directed the critically acclaimed productions of Lombardi and Magic/Bird on Broadway. Off Broadway credits include: In the Heights (Callaway Award, Drama Desk nomination, Outer Critics nomination), New York City Center: The Wiz and Lincoln Center Theater: Broke-ology (Mitzi Newhouse Theater). Kail is the co-creator and director of the hip-hop improv group Freestyle Love Supreme, which played the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, U.S. Comedy Arts Festival, Montreal Comedy Festival and Melbourne Comedy Festival. Kail also serves as the Artistic Director and co-founder of Back House Productions. On television Kail directed "The Oprah Winfrey Oscar Special" in 2010 for ABC; the pilot episode of "Storymakers" for AMC and served as co-music director and consulting producer of PBS' show "The Electric Company."
This production will be choreographed by Bradley Rapier. As founder and artistic director of the award-winning performance group The Groovaloos and co-creator and director of choreography of the Off Broadway smash GROOVALOO, Rapier's goal has been to spread the power, beauty and endless creativity within the hip-hop dance culture with the world. On the theater front his cool style and creative approach on City Kid was touted as "miraculous" and "exhilarating" by the LA Times and garnered him both the 2008 Ovation and NAACP Award for Best Musical Choreography. He followed with a 2009 NAACP Best Choreography Award for his work on the critically acclaimed Reprise Theatre production of Once On This Island.
Musical direction with new orchestrations will be led by Lynne Shankel, who served as the resident music supervisor for the Tony Award-winning revival of Company. She was also music director and orchestrator for the Off-Broadway hit Altar Boyz (Drama Desk nomination, Orchestrations). Shankel served as Music Director on Broadway for: Disney's Beauty and the Beast; You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown and Off-Broadway for: The Thing About Men, Summer of '42, The Cocoanuts.
The design team includes: scenic design by Donyale Werle (Peter and the Starcatcher), costumes by Jessica Jahn (Die Mommie, Die!), lighting design by Kenneth Posner (9 to 5, The Merchant of Venice), sound design by Randy Hansen and hair and wig design by Bettie O. Rogers ("Saturday Night Live," Emmy nomination). The production stage manager is Lisa Dawn Cave.
