Summer at Kelsey Theater concludes with a trip to the islands when Pennington Players presents a musical set in the French Antilles. “Once On This Island” presents the tale of the romance between Ti Moune, a poor peasant girl, portrayed by Caitlin Tierney of West Windsor, and Daniel, an upper class boy from the other side of the island.
Opening on Friday, August 17, the show runs weekends through August 26.##M:[more]##
Written by the award-winning team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, the musical is based on the novel, “My Love, My Love” by Rosa Guy. The characters are hampered by deeply embedded social prejudices and the meddling of the four gods who rule the island.
Originally opening off-Broadway, the show moved to Broadway in 1990, where it ran for 469 performances and was nominated for eight Tony Awards, including best musical, best score, and best book.
“In the show I play the peasant girl, Ti Moune, who, as a child, was rescued by the gods during a storm,” says Tierney. “When a rich ‘grand homme’ crashes his car in her village, Ti Moune believes she must save him in return for being spared years ago. She falls madly in love with this boy, Daniel, and attempts to defy the island’s social class stratification that serves as a barrier for their relationship. Although she may be naive, she is determined and strong, and does whatever it takes to follow her heart.”
The show is directed by former Plainsboro resident Frank Ferrara, with musical direction by his wife, Shannon Ferrara, a fifth grade music teacher at Village School. “The show is going to be a lot of fun,” says Frank Ferrara. “It’s very unusual in its structure, and the music is different from most musicals — Caribbean, with lots of drums played by hand and silly percussion.”
Tierney, a graduate from High School North in 2006, is a sophomore at Fordham University who played leading roles this past year in school. Her previous community theater roles at Kelsey include “Cats,” “Bye Bye Birdie,” and “Oliver.” She has also been seen at Open Air Theater in “Into the Woods” and “Once Upon a Mattress.”
“Doing shows at Fordham gave me my first experiences in leading roles, including Ariel in ‘Footloose’ and Hope in ‘Urinetown,’ but it’s special to have my first lead on the Kelsey stage,” says Tierney. “Performing in the Bronx limited the number of friends that could come to see me, but I’m extremely proud to be starring in a show in my hometown of West Windsor.”
She has studied voice with Steven Schnurman in Cranbury for many years. Tierney was in the Westminster Youth Chorale, an auditioned choir, for four years and toured Brazil with the group.
Born in the area, she lived in Plainsboro until she was three when the family moved to West Windsor. Her father, Peter Tierney, is owner and family practitioner at the Plainsboro Family Physicians. Her mother, Annabel, works at Dow Jones in Plainsboro. Her brother, Patrick, will graduate from Rutgers in 2008.
When she was younger, she studied dance at Princeton Ballet School. During her high school years, she spent one summer at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. At North she was in the Silver Lining, the all-female a cappella group. She was also seen in North musicals, “The Music Man” and “Annie.” This summer she is working at Express, the clothing store, in Quaker Bridge Mall.
“I’m familiar with the show after having done it as an eighth-grader at Community Middle School,” she says. “Although I’ve always thought “Once on This Island” was fun show, the Pennington Players version has really enhanced the story with emotion and meaning. Everyone has worked so hard to make the show as extraordinary as it is. I am grateful to be a part of this production.”
— Lynn Miller
Once on This Island, Kelsey Theater, Mercer County Community College, 1200 Old Trenton Road, 609-570-3333. www.kelseytheatre.net. Pennington Players presents the musical legend of romance between a peasant girl and a rich city boy. $16. Friday, August 17, to Sunday, August 26.
