Your affection for Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty’s 1990 musical Once on This Island may well depend upon how much patience you have for narratives about young heroines who sacrifice all for the love of men who clearly don’t deserve them. (See also The Little Mermaid, Tess of the d’Urbervilles, etc., ad nauseam.) Based on Trinidad-born American writer Rosa Guy’s 1985 novel My Love, My Love: or, The Peasant Girl (which borrowed from Hans Christian Andersen’s fable), the great advantage of this show (book and lyrics by Ahrens, music by Flaherty) is its emphasis on communal storytelling. It’s framed as a story told to a little girl one stormy night to distract her from the thunder, with the ensemble mostly playing multiple roles as they split the narrator duties, adding percussive music and sound effects throughout the 90-minute tale, and joining in joyous dance sequences.
Yet Daniel is taken with Ti Moune, who journeys across the island to find him after his family removes him from his post-crash sickbed in her hut. Ti Moune’s journey requires the help of the gods: Agwe (Jamaul Bakare), the god of water; Asaka (Kyle Ramar Freeman), the mother of the earth; and Erzulie (Cassondra James), the goddess of love. Meantime, the malevolent spirit Papa Ge (Tamyra Gray) hopes to claim Ti Moune’s life after the girl promises to exchange it for Daniel’s. (Oh honey.)
Through 2/2: Tue 7:30 PM, Wed 2 and 7:30 PM, Thu-Fri 7:30 PM, Sat 2 and 8 PM, Sun 2 PM; also Sun 1/26, 7:30 PM, Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph, 800-775-2000, broadwayinchicago.com, $25-$99.50.
