Review: ONCE ON THIS ISLAND at Three Rivers Music Theatre is a MUST-SEE

I was lucky enough to be able to attend the opening night of Three Rivers Music Theatre's Once on This Island last weekend, and let me tell you, this production is special. In most local Fort Wayne productions, you hand over your ticket, sit down, watch as the lights go down, and take in the show; the lights come back on, and you walk out, typically satisfied. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. But this show offered so much more, and now that I've experienced it, I don't know that I'll ever be satisfied with anything less.

From the moment you step through the doors of Wunderkammer Company, you are immersed on the hurricane-wrecked island world of Once on This Island. The stage is a sandbag-lined beach; glistening lights of all shapes and sizes and colors hang from the rafters, strands of twinkling turtles and glowing milk jugs, all weaving in and around the clotheslines that stretch across the island. The immersive element of the show includes interactions with the islanders before the musical even starts. I don't want to say too much that might spoil your personal experience, but I recommend getting to your seats early to avoid missing any of the pre-show.

In terms of seating, the chairs are set up in the round. A single line of chairs edges the two longer sides of the rectangular beach; I would strongly advise taking one of those seats if they're available. My seat, on the side of the stage closest to the ticket table and concession bar, was the perfect vantage point. Alternatively, you can find riser seating on the edge of the beach nearest to Wunderkammer's built-in stage - again, I would recommend taking a front row seat for the most in-depth experience. The benefit of this kind of staging is that, depending on where you sit, you might get an entirely different theatrical experience - you'll see facial expressions and character interactions on your side of the stage that someone sitting on the opposite side of the island wouldn't notice, and vice versa. I'm looking forward to returning to the show and sitting on the other side for a second viewing.

But no matter where you sit, you'll be treating yourself to ninety minutes of absolute enchantment. The way that the islanders manipulate the discarded items on their beach to set the scene make it seem as though magic is happening right before your eyes. At one point, the staging was so innovative that I audibly gasped (for those who've seen the show - it's the car scene). The storytellers also take up traditional and non-traditional instruments alike during one of the songs; from their places seated around the perimeter of the beach on their sandbags, all working together to create the soundtrack of the island, the sense of community collaboration and storytelling could not have been stronger. Because the theme of the musical itself is so focused on the importance of people coming together, all of the collaborative elements of the staging really seemed to make sense and bring a little something extra to the story.

This production has the strongest ensemble cast I've seen in a long time, and I was living for every choreographed dance number. That being said, I did find a few individual performances to be especially noteworthy. The actors playing Ti Moune and Daniel, Marsharika Coleman and Deven Bowers respectively, captivated the stage with their youthful energy and their genuine, unaffected passion. I couldn't believe it when I read the program and realized that for both of them, Once on This Island is their first theatrical production; from their confidence and charisma onstage, you'd never know it. Another stand out was Melanin Soulest, who played an absolutely stunningly powerful Papa Ge, god of death. Simultaneously frightening and regal, all of her interactions with Ti Moune left me wide-eyed and literally unable to look away. And Debbie Moore, playing Asaka, goddess and mother of the earth, should honestly be known as the goddess of vocals after her performance in "Mama Will Provide."

My only minor wish is that Wunderkammer had better acoustics, because in some songs, the actors were difficult to hear over the music. That being said, that's also an effect of a show staged in the round. It would be impossible to achieve perfect sound levels in this sort of space - and honestly, I didn't care that I missed a word or two throughout the course of the show because I was so thoroughly enthralled with the visual spectacle playing out in front of me.

I was stunned when, what felt like only moments after the show had started, I glanced at the song listing in the program and saw that it was nearly over. It was as though this story took place somewhere out of time. I wanted it to go on forever. My eyes teared up at the start of the show because of the sheer magic of the opening numbers, and I cried again at the end of the show; I walked out of Wunderkammer with sand smudged on my glasses and a joyful song in my heart. This is the kind of theatre Fort Wayne truly needs, and I hope this city appreciates it while it's here.

Three Rivers Music Theatre's Once on This Island runs for three more weekends at Wunderkammer Company on Fairfield, and you don't want to miss it. Ticket information, including dates and showtimes, can be found on their website or on their Facebook page.

Photography above by Brian Davis, provided by Three Rivers Music Theatre.

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