Once on This Island
Book and Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens
Music by Stephen Flaherty
Choreographed by Camille A. Brown
Directed by Michael Arden
Circle in the Square
June 11, 2018
Production website
💉💉💉💉 out of 5.

Romeo and Juliet lands on a tropical island complete with sand and water, roosters and trucks, trees and a diapered goat.  It was a lush and sensual evening in the theatre  – one has almost gotten their ticket’s worth of entertainment before the show starts – – its like being invited to a living set that breathes and trickles, bubbles and lives! 

I noticed that as soon as the show began there was not one face in the entire theatre that was able to maintain the New York grimace.  Everyone was was smiling – beaming actually.

It is hard to find any flaw with this show.  Scenic pieces were used so beautifully.  Your imagination was triggered beautifully by discarded pieces of car doors and meal gates.  You are drawn in before the show begins and you are held to the story with interest right through the curtain call.  How few times this has happened this season on Broadway.

The show gives you such a big, full meal of a show.  I am wondering if we really need the rooster, the pool of water and diapered goat  At times I thought it might be nice to have a little less spectacle so that the people would come a bit more to the front – but this is hardly a reason not to love this beautiful show.