Penn Hills High School is going to the Caribbean this weekend.
The high school’s musical will present “Once on this Island” starting at 7 p.m. April 9.
Co-directed by Briana York and Ashley Bodnar, the story follows a young Ti Moune, a peasant girl who falls in love with Daniel Beauxhomme, a wealthy “grand homme” from the other side of the island in the French Antilles. Their story is governed by four gods — Erzulie, Papa Ge, Agwe and Asaka — who influence the lovers’ fate.
“It’s really about (social) class and race and if love can overcome those things,” York said.
Another large theme of the show is storytelling, York said. The musical begins on a stormy night when a group of villagers tell the story of Ti Moune to a little girl frightened by the storm. An emphasis is put on how retelling stories over generations can keep a culture alive and teach important life lesson, York said.
With 25 cast members, the show will be brought to life with some students playing more than one role and others sharing roles. There will be 10 crew members and one student playing music in the pit with professional musicians.
“Almost the entire cast is on stage the entire time,” York said. “Everyone is present and together in the storytelling. … They get to really be part of the story.”
The show had a run on Broadway in the 1990s, York said. Its music was written by Pittsburgh-area native Stephen Flaherty.
The musical’s run time is 80 minutes with a 20-minute intermission, York said. The show will run through April 12 with 7 p.m. shows on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Sunday’s show will be at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at pennhillsdrama.ludus.com.