Composers Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty Exploring 'New Musical Concepts' for ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Revival
By: Nicole Rosky Jan. 19, 2017
As BroadwayWorld reported in August, producer Ken Davenport is bringing a new production of the Olivier Award-winning, Tony-Nominated musical, ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, to Broadway. The 1990 hit musical, with book and lyrics by Tony Award-winners Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty, will be directed by Tony Nominee Michael Arden (Spring Awakening), with new orchestrations by original orchestrator Michael Starobin. The vocal designer for the production will be Ann Marie Milazzo.
Just last month, a music workshop was held in NYC. "[It] was absolutely thrilling." Flaherty told BroadwayWorld. "In collaboration with director Michael Arden, vocal designer Ann Marie Milazzo and orchestrator Michael Starobin, we explored many exciting new musical concepts for the piece. Lynn [Ahrens] and I look forward to taking these ideas further with our new collaborators in the New Year."
The workshop featured: Katie Boeck (Vocals/Guitar), Chloe Bryan, Darlesia Cearcy, Lawrence Clayton, Carrie Compere, Patrice Covington, Quentin Earl Darrington, Charity Angel Dawson, Mike Evariste, Sean Grandillo (Vocals/Bass), Adrianna Jackson, Bre Jackson, Cassondra James, Isaiah Johnson, Mykal Kilgore, Grasan Kingsberry, Kenita R. Miller, Dimitri Joseph Moise, Maria Wirries.
For more information on the upcoming production, visit www.onceonthisisland.com.
The original Broadway production played from 1990 to 1991, followed by a run in the West End, where it won the 1995 Olivier Award for Best New Musical. Based on the 1985 novel MY LOVE, MY LOVE; OR, THE PEASANT GIRL by Rosa Guy, ONCE ON THIS ISLAND is set in the French Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean Sea and centers on a peasant girl on a tropical island, who uses the power of love to bring people together.
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