Once On This Island: Ticket Prices, Schedule, Cast and Crew
Check out all the deets you need to know.
(SPOT.ph) Right on the heels of RentMNL 2024, 9 Work's Theatrical recently officially announced its next production: a limited-time-run of the Olivier and Tony Award-winning musical Once On This Island. If what we read about this musical is right, ready your tissues and prepare to have your hearts ripped to shreds as this Calypso-coded tale of a small-town girl who finds love in a world of prejudice is just that powerful. It hits the stage from September 6 to 29 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium in RCBC Plaza, Makati.
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What is Once On This Island all about?
Once On This Island is based on Rosa Guy’s 1985 novel, My Love, My Love: Or The Peasant Girl, which is a Caribbean adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's well-loved fairy tale, The Little Mermaid.
Once On This Island was written for the stage by the Tony Award-winning songwriting team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. This musical follows the life of a girl named Ti Moune who has to navigate romance in a world of racism and prejudice. Much like in The Little Mermaid, the lead female protagonist is enamored with a wealthy charmer (named Daniel here) who is from another world, and for whom she is willing to sacrifice everything for, her life included.
Unbeknownst to Ti Moune, the pompous gods who rule the island are playing a game with one another over which is stronger—love or death— with poor Ti Moune’s life at stake. When she pursues Daniel, who has returned to his people, Ti Moune is shunned because of her lowly status. Will her determination be enough to win Daniel’s heart or will Ti Moune pay the ultimate price?
Once On This Island was first staged off-Broadway in May 1990, in Broadway in October of the same year, and then in the West End in 1994. It was first staged in Manila in 1995. In 2017, it was revived on Broadway with no less than Lea Salonga played Erzulie, the goddess of love. The show lasted until 2019, after over 458 regular performances. Reports suggest that a live-action adaptation on Disney+ is in the works.
Meet the Cast of Once On This Island
According to 9Works Executive Producer Santi Santamaria and Director Robbie Guevara, this musical has been in the pipeline for a while.
“Before we even met and assembled our cast, we already had a clear picture of how to present the show in a more contemporary way for our new audiences,” Guevara told media. "It’s still going to appeal to all the generations, but we’re really focusing on the Z-llennials because we want to show them the classic Broadway shows, which are already slowly getting taken over by the likes of Rent and Hamilton.”
In true 9 Works Theatrical fashion, which sees different permutations of leads and supports per show date, Jef Flores and Sam Concepcion will be alternating as Daniel; and Thea Astley and Angela Ken will be taking turns as Ti Moune.
It's not a secret that Flores and Concepcion are also performing in the re-run of PETA's One More Chance. In fact, during a press conference, Concepcion was notably absent because he was doing final technical rehearsals for the Filipino musical. In an interview with SPOT.ph, Flores expressed that he is both nervous and excited at the prospect of juggling these two plays and two roles. "There’s pressure not to let anyone down," says the actor. "I’m very nervous [about] my first two-show day on September 8, where I do a matinee at One More Chance, and then I run to RCBC to do Once On This Island. That should be an interesting day.”
Meanwhile, GMA Sparkle artist Astley just wrapped up her musical theater debut as Mimi in Rent and is ready for the challenge of playing Ti Moune. "Being Ti Moune is such a coveted role,” she said in an interview with SPOT.ph. “There’s a lot of pressure to deliver and be worthy of a role that’s been given to me.”
Star Magic recording artist Ken who also just debuted this year in the Sandbox Collective's staging of the The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee also expressed her excitement to take on Ti Moune, adding that she is learning so much from her character including the importance of being ready before going headfirst into anything.
NGL, if we're to consider this group's body of work, audiences are in for a treat no matter the leads they catch on their chosen show dates. But it's up to the fans to find their own "bias" pairings. Whether we're Team Jeff-Thea or Team Sam-Angela, we'll have to wait and see.
What to look forward to in Once On This Island?
Cast-wise, we’re counting on the RENT alumni to give us something different from how we last remember them—Thea Astley, Garrett Bolden, Jasmine Fitzgerald, Fay Castro, and Jordan Andrews. We’re excited to see Jonjon Martin and PJ Rebullida, who are usually working behind the scenes as PR manager and choreographer respectively, back onstage.
Additionally, Radha's casting as Asaka, the goddess of Earth, should be a welcome treat for Gen X and elder millennials. You might remember her from her Kulay/Boom days in the late ’90s and her comeback as a contestant on The Voice in 2013. This year, she'll bring her soulful R&B sound to the stage once more as she reprises her role in the 2004 staging.
We’re also looking forward to seeing veteran theater actors Shiela Valderrama-Martinez, Lorenz Martinez, Raul Montesa, and Noel Rayos on one stage.
How to buy tickets for Once On This Island 2024:
Choose from shows on Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. This one-act musical is rated PG and runs for one hour and 40 minutes without intermission. Tickets are available on ticket2me.net or 9 Works Theatrical's Facebook page.
Ticket prices for Once On This Island are as follows:
- Orchestra Center Premium: P3,900
- Orchestra Center: P3,700
- Orchestra Center Front: P3,600
- Orchestra Side: P3,300
- Orchestra Side Zone 2: P3,100
- Loge Center: P3,400
- Loge Side: P3,100
- Loge Back: P3,100
- Balcony: P2,200
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