Play asks whether love can conquer all
With a strong senior class, Hampshire High School choral director, Chris Cherry, wanted to find a musical that would provide ample opportunities for his graduating class to shine.
That show is “Once on this Island,” a colorful musical that examines whether true love can conquer all with music by Stephen Flaherty and book by Lynn Ahrens, the team that wrote “Ragtime” and “Seussical.”
“Once on this Island” is based on the Rosa Guy book, “My Love, My Love.” The production runs today and Saturday and continues Friday, March 11 and Saturday, March 12. Tickets, $8 and $6 for students and seniors, are available at the door or from the Hampshire High School Main Office, 1600 Big Timber Road. Showtimes are 7 p.m.
Set in Haiti, “Once on this Island” tells the story of a peasant girl who falls in love with a rich landowner.
“It's a basic Romeo and Juliet story,” Cherry said. “Can two people overcome all of these obstacles to be together when the odds are stacked against them? It's about class and society that says the rich and the poor cannot be together, can't fall in love.”
The island is ruled by four Gods that meddle in the lives of the mortals. One mortal is Ti Moune, played by Lexi Dahlberg, an orphan who is chosen by the Gods for a special fate. When Daniel, a rich boy from the other side of the island, crashes his car on a stormy night, Ti Moune rushes to save him. When Daniel returns to his family, the island Gods test Ti Moune's heart and love against hatred, prejudice and death.
“This is an emotional show,” Cherry said. “If people are expecting a typical high school show they will be pleasantly surprised by what these kids can do. They go above and beyond what is expected of high school students. They set the bar really high.”
The cast features 11 main characters, four main storytellers and an ensemble of storytellers. In all, a cast of 40 and another 40 for the crew and orchestra make up the production.
“There is no other area in the school where you can see this many kids in one project,” Cherry said. “It's a way for people to participate in the arts, especially during these economic times. We're lucky we have the luxury to do this kind of stuff.”
If you go
What: Hampshire High School's spring musical, “Once on this Island”
When: 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, March 4-5 and 11-12
Where: Hampshire High School auditorium, 1600 Big Timber Road
Tickets: $ 8, $ 6 for students and seniors
Details: (847) 792-3500