Backstage with Richard Ridge: 27 Years Later... Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty Are Heading Back to Their Island

They already have a hit running on 44th Street. As of this week, their music is filling another theatre just six blocks north.

Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, who have brought us such beloved shows as Ragtime and Anastasia, are taking us back to the Caribbean this season with the return of their 1990 musical, Once on This Island. While the duo was in tech, making final tweaks to the show before the start of previews, that stopped by Sardi's to chat with Richard Ridge about heading back to their island after almost three decades.

Once On This Island is the tale of Ti Moune, a fearless peasant girl who falls in love with a wealthy boy from the other side of the island. When their divided cultures keep them apart, Ti Moune is guided by the powerful island gods, Erzulie, Asaka, Papa Ge, and Agwe, on a remarkable quest to reunite with the man who has captured her heart.

Bursting with Caribbean colors, rhythms and dance, the story comes to vibrant life in a striking production by Tony Award-nominated director Michael Arden (Spring Awakening revival) and acclaimed choreographer Camille A. Brown. This production transforms the reality of a tropical village devastated by a storm into a fantastical world alive with hope.