A story of love, bravery and strength will be told on stage during the Hilo Palace Theater’s 21st annual fall musical beginning this weekend.
A cast of about 40 people have been rehearsing the musical, “Once on this Island,” which is filled with solo and ensemble songs and is accompanied by a live band. This will be the first time a live band has played for a Palace musical since 2019.
Directors Jennie Kaneshiro and Jennifer Eng decided on the story, which is based on an island, as it depicts the importance of oral traditions and storytelling.
Storytellers based in Hilo come together to tell the story of Ti Moune, an orphan peasant girl who was chosen by the gods to answer the question: Can love conquer death? The show is based in the French Antilles and involves the gods Asaka, Agwe, Erzulie and Papa Ge, which are part of Haitian Vodou, an African diasporic religion.
“This show was something Jennifer (Eng) introduced me to, and once I saw it and got to know it, I fell in love with it,” Kaneshiro said. “I love that it’s an island story, and although it’s located somewhere else, the core feels related to Hawaii. We have storytellers grounded in Hilo telling the story of another place.”
At the beginning of the show, the gods — Asaka, played by Pomai Conant-Longakit; Agwe, played by Zayne Paresa; Erzulie, played by Marlise Ahuna; and Papa Ge, played by Kimo Apaka — place a bet to see if death or love is stronger for humans.
The gods cause Ti Moune, played by Aleah Kay, to fall in love with a boy of a higher class, Daniel Beauxhomme, played by Jason Aiwohi-Tomlin. During the musical, Ti Moune and Daniel’s love is tested by the social and familial dynamics of the island and a curse placed on the Beauxhomme family.
“This is an incredibly moving and powerful story that brings so much emotion every time,” Kaneshiro said. “Every night of rehearsals, we’ve had people crying. The story never gets old even though we’ve been working on it for so long.”
The cast advances the story utilizing melodious songs and large dance numbers, which will all be accompanied by the live band. Choreography is by Mana Ho‘opai and Jasmine Serrano, music direction is by Damien Stack, and vocal coaching is by Josh Payne.
“As a musician myself, I wanted to bring back the live orchestra, and it was a wonderful experience to see the cast hear it for the first time,” Kaneshiro said. “The entire feeling of live theater has leveled up with it — I mean, it sounds so good. It’s amazing to see it all come together.”
This is Kaneshiro’s first time directing a musical, so she has been supported by her co-director and friend, Eng, and by a cast and crew of supportive people on stage and behind the scenes.
“It’s been a huge learning curve, but I have loved it. I was initially hesitant, but I’ve surrounded myself with a great, creative team to tell this heartfelt story,” Kaneshiro said. “It’s been a real family affair with many of the cast working with their own friends and family. We have people of all ages putting their time into this show.”
The Palace will be showing “Once on this Island” for three weekends from Friday, Oct. 6, to Sunday, Oct. 22.
Friday and Saturday shows begin at 7 p.m., and Sunday shows will begin at 2:30 p.m.
Tickets are available on the Palace website at hilopalace.com.
“I’m excited for audiences to understand the depth of this story and see local community members shine through the show,” Kaneshiro said. “Hilo has incredible local talent and it will be great when everyone sees what they can do.”