PLEASANT GROVE — At the end of each year, we do a series of articles discussing some of the most excellent work in the state. You’ll want to revisit this review when that article comes out – there will be cross over. Last week The Ruth and Nathan Hale Theatre opened their production of Once On This Island in the by Lynn Ahrens (book and lyrics) and Stephen Flaherty (music). The musical is based on the 1985 novel My Love, My Love; or, The Peasant Girl by Rosa Guy.
Our archives only show three previous productions of Once On This Island being performed in Utah venues since 2010, and this rare jewel set in the French Antilles was extraordinary in every way. The Ruth’s representational casting highlighted the depth of talent in Utah County and the exceptional storytelling opportunities available to companies throughout the state. The story, for those unfamiliar, follows similar beats to the familiar Little Mermaid stories following a girl named TiMoune (Blythe Snowden) though with a tragically beautiful ending and a little Caribbean stylization. TiMoune is saved by the Gods from a storm and is eventually caught up into their power struggle determining if love is stronger than Death. TiMoune rescues a wealthy Grand Homme boy from a car crash and when he’s taken back to his people, she leaves her own to be with him. I saw the Wednesday performing cast and was so beautifully fulfilled by this production.
From the moment I entered the Lindsay Legacy Theatre I was immersed in a storm-swept tropical paradise backed by Creole vernacular architecture with clear French colonial influence. The set featured a pool, sandy beach and numerous beautiful ways for the actors to populate the space. The set also had a clear divide between the people’s poverty and the Grand Homme’s extravagance in terms of color and style. The space was fantastic as a familiar and intimate throw back to the original HCTO space but with a flush of new technology and improved audience seating and viewing. Scenic designer Carter Thompson literally set the stage in a fascinating and beautiful way and set the tone for an exceptional performance.
Director Lisa Hall’s work on this production was, from the beginning, exceptional. The pacing, the unity of design, the cast cohesion were all very tight. This was a show where the cast and creative team and the story they were trying to tell and did so in exceptional and nuanced ways from the very beginning, even down to the way language was used and carried.
This was clear in a character who often doesn’t arrive until the end of the play is Andrea, played single cast by Paola Molina Guzman. The main love story falls apart when the marriage of tradition to Andrea thwarts the primary love interest. Knowing this, the opening number and much of the story being narrated by Andrea gave the story immense depth. It took Andrea from plot device to powerful force for good, and Guzman delivered this with her performance. There’s a scene at the end where TiMoune dances gracefully alongside two of the hotel’s staff (Alexandria Byrd and Melanie Fernelius) and not in the prim style of those whose world she is not part of. Watching Guzman emotionally fall apart while holding poise through this sequence was one of dozens of exceptional moments in the storytelling here. Well done.
Snowden’s performance of TiMoune was great. Snowden brought a naivety and an endearing nature to the role rather than playing her as a firebrand. It allowed the audience to see clearly TiMoune’s being pulled in three directions – familial ties, romantic yearning, and the unrelenting fate that compelled her down her path. Seeing Snowden finally unleash TiMoune’s wilder nature as Papa Ge tries to lure her to choose death over love and then the break that happens thereafter was beautiful.
The gods in this production were dynamic and interesting.Yaosh Bonner performed Agwe with the might of the flood and the gentleness of a ripple as the storytelling demanded it. Aria Love Jackson’s performance of Asaka, mother of the earth, thrilled with flair and authority. Her resonant tone in “Mama Will Provide” was a thrilling end to act one. Anya Sulimoni was a bit distant and formal in her role as Erzulie, goddess of love, but in the moments that she had to go against the god of death was firm and fierce. Beatriz Melo played Papa Ge and was just the right balance of sadistic and calculating to be a powerful force all the way through. What was most impressive was the incredible generosity these actors shared on stage as they shifted focus and storytelling seamlessly.
Perhaps the most potent part of this production, however, lived in the ensemble. Across the board, vocals – directed by Alec Powell – were harmonious, rich, and delightful. The cast did an excellent job performing Izzy Arrieta’s choreography that was an excellent blend of unified and individual for each performer. The parts were all interesting through each number and their sum still elevated as a whole. And individual moments have stuck with me days later from the ensemble. When little TiMoune was rescued from the flood, she was carried in a style reminiscent of frantic assembly where bodies in space serve as the vehicle for imaginative devices; in this case, carrying her like waves. Dialects were consistent and clearly understood which is a credit to the work of Myah Bridgewater. The stage business on both sides of the island read and translated well and there was clear distinction in how the actors carried themselves and communicated their complex inner emotional lives.
Perhaps the most profound moment in the show was in “The Sad Tale of the Beauxomes” when Armand and his family are cursed to see their skin as a curse for the first time. The pained and sorrowful discoveries of the actors were emotionally hard to watch. TiMoune echoed this discovery about herself later in a way that was heart wrenching. Both were moments you wish you could call out and stop, but that carried such gravity that the audience was silent.
The actors were supported through beautiful production elements such as the vivid and expressive costuming from Candice Nielsen that allowed pattern and hue to tell audiences about the characters. I loved the choice to use masks in the ball scene and in “Sad Tale” to show the figurative masks of posh superiority the characters wear. Michael Gray’s lighting design was exceptional and truly additive in key moments such as “Rain” and the end sequence when TiMoune is shut out of the hotel. This was a truly cohesive and clear story from the beginning.
This is a show I would see again and again. It seemed the entire creative team knew “Why We Tell The Story” and poured their whole souls into doing so in a way that was immersive, evocative, and profound. I don’t have the words to express why this play – from Tonton’s opening line to Little TiMoune’s last, was so profound. Instead, I leave you with the strong call to see this show and find your reason why.
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MORE INFO: ONCE ON THIS ISLAND is currently playing at The Ruth and Nathan Hale Theater in the Lindsay Legacy Theater (401 South Pleasant Grove Boulevard, Pleasant Grove, UT 84062). Performances run May 4 through July 3, 2026, with most evening performances at 7:30 PM and select Saturday performances at 12:30 PM or 4:00 PM. Tickets for main stage productions at The Ruth typically range from $29 to $79 for adults, depending on performance date and seating. For the most up-to-date schedule, availability, and official ticketing, visit The Ruth and Nathan Hale Theater website.