Once on This Island

Once on This Island
Celebrate storytelling with this rousing Calypso-flavored tale of one small girl who finds love in a world of prejudice.



From the Tony Award-winning songwriting team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (Seussical, Ragtime), comes the Olivier Award-winning Once on This Island. This highly original and theatrical Caribbean adaptation of the popular fairy tale, The Little Mermaid, garnered eight Tony nominations for its Broadway run, including Best Musical, Book and Score.

Ti Moune, a peasant girl, rescues a wealthy boy from the other side of the island, Daniel, with whom she falls in love. Unbeknownst to Ti Moune, the pompous gods who preside over the island make a bet with one another over which is stronger, love or death, the stakes being Ti Moune's life. When she pursues Daniel, who has returned to his people, Ti Moune is shunned because of her lowly status. Her determination and capacity to love, though, is not enough to win Daniel's heart, and Ti Moune pays the ultimate price; but the gods turn Ti Moune into a tree that grows so strong and so tall, it breaks the wall that separates the societies and ultimately unites them.

Once on This Island's small band, minimal set requirements and flexibly sized cast make it a producer and director's dream. It possesses such a strong, emotional backbone that it can stand tall, from the grandest to most modest of scales.

Concert Selections for Once on This Island

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Media

  • A glimpse of the Tony-nominated Broadway revival of Once On This Island
  • Co-authors Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty discuss Once On This Island
  • A preview of the 2012 Paper Mill Playhouse production of Once On This Island
  • Music video of "Waiting for Life" from the Tony-winning Broadway revival of...
  • Co-authors Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty discuss the score of Once on This Island
  • Music video of "The Human Heart" from the Tony-winning Broadway revival of...
  • A glimpse of the Tony-nominated Broadway revival of Once On This Island
  • Co-authors Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty discuss Once On This Island
  • A preview of the 2012 Paper Mill Playhouse production of Once On This Island
  • Music video of "Waiting for Life" from the Tony-winning Broadway revival of...
  • Co-authors Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty discuss the score of Once on This Island
  • Music video of "The Human Heart" from the Tony-winning Broadway revival of...

Resources

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Questions & Answers

January 27, 2021
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Related shows or resources: Once on This Island
Echoing Revival Casting

I know this verion of materials echos the Original Broadway Cast more, but when we license the show are we allowed to echo the casting choices of the revival as long as we don't alter the music and dialogue given to us (outside of the approved dialogue considerations based on casting.)

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October 22, 2018
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Related shows or resources: Once on This Island
Can original material be presented before and after the script without additional permissions?

Once On This Island is very much about storytelling. If a group were to devise original material telling their own story in their own words (not utilizing sections of the script) and present the original material before and after the show, without altering the script and leaving the script interact, would additional permissions need to be sought?

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May 06, 2018
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Related shows or resources: Once on This Island
Will this show be available for licensing in my area 2019?

Will "Once" be available for licensing in 2019 for my area ?

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March 11, 2016
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Once On This Island Colorblind Script
How do we got about requesting the colorblind casting script for our production of Once On This Island? Or is it already included in the script? Thanks
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March 07, 2016
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Related shows or resources: Once on This Island
Do you have Program template for Once on This Island
Do you have Program template for Once on This Island
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December 18, 2015
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Related shows or resources: Once on This Island
Is this a published play?
Does this play have an ISBN number? The policy at our playhouse require them and I do not want to order if there is not an ISBN.
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