Those familiar with Disney’s splashy “The Little Mermaid” may not recognize their favorite flippered maiden in Reprise Theatre Company’s musical “Once on This Island.” In this production, there is no strand of red mermaid hair to be found.
Instead, she has dark skin and darker hair, flourishes no fish tail, and is challenged by the effects of racism rather than the unfortunate inconvenience of not being able to speak.
The musical, which premieres tonight at UCLA’s Freud Playhouse and runs through Sept. 14, retells a very different version of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale of love, loss and redemption.
The adaptation of the story takes place on a Caribbean island and includes a musical score of calypso and reggae, choreography with energy-infused hip-hop, and the maturity of a richly cultural story told through song and dance.
For those who have seen “Once on This Island” in the past, Reprise’s production takes a notably different approach to the traditional execution.
Director Billy Porter, a seasoned Broadway performer and inventive director, brings a desire for innovation in theater and has made subtle updates to this production.
“It is very, very, very, very hip,” Porter said. “We’ve worked on really trying to make sure that it reflects the culture today as well as reaching back to the Caribbean rhythm.”
The choreography in “Island” also will take on a creative twist to the traditional interpretation.
Choreographer Bradley Rapier, founder of the hip-hop group The Groovaloos, will contribute his break dance, hip-hop and street dance-influenced style.
Rapier confessed that when he was enlisted as choreographer, he was skeptical about how his methods would fit with the Caribbean reggae score.
“That was very nerve-wracking initially,” Rapier said. “One of my big things is it’s not the move it’s the groove, it’s not the step it’s the style, it’s the pulse. … It makes for a very cool mix … honoring the original with a new slant.”
Like most Reprise productions, “Island” features a cast of Broadway and regional veterans, including Grammy nominee Ledisi.
However, a striking addition to this show is newcomer Kristolyn Lloyd as the main character, a poor West Indies peasant named Ti Moune.
Lloyd recently graduated from Carnegie Mellon University, well-known for its theater program, and her fresh face is a reminder of the importance of allowing new performers to break into the business.
It is this kind of freshness that complements the seasoned experience of “Island’s” cast and emanates throughout the performance.
“(The cast members) are all young and fresh, and it’s hip. There are new surprises that people haven’t seen in “˜Once on This Island’ before,” Lloyd said.
UCLA students will especially enjoy the tale itself, which more closely follows the plot complexity of the original fairy tale and offers the possibility of a musical theater performance without a “happily ever after” ending.
“(Ti Moune) makes it capable for everyone to be inspired by her story and to either find a way to mourn a loss or to forgive a wrong or to love without inhibitions,” Lloyd said.
Like any show, however, the rehearsal process for “Island” has seen its share of difficulties, partially due to the fast-paced rehearsal schedule for which Reprise is known.
“It has been very trying, very strenuous physically, but … it never gets too serious. Everyone in the room has a great sense of humor, and we love working together,” Lloyd said.
If a dance needs adjustment, Rapier often only has 10 minutes to make his changes, practice them and move on. When a cast member was forced to bow out due to family circumstances, an extra rehearsal was added on their day off.
And because Ti Moune’s character appears in every scene except one, Lloyd is constantly learning a new dance, practicing a new song or waiting offstage for her next call.
There are no mermaids in this interpretation, but Reprise’s “Once on This Island” offers a Broadway experience with an innovative story that challenges the fairy-tale norms.
As Porter said, “That is theater, darling.”