Caribbean style musical fable opens in Harlingen

An enchanting musical fable based on a popular fairy tale begins a two-weekend run at the Harlingen Performing Arts Theatre this week.
“Once On This Island” is a highly original and theatrical Caribbean adaptation of the popular fairy tale “The Little Mermaid.”
In almost non-stop song and dance, the show tells the story of Ti Moune, a peasant girl who rescues and falls in love with Daniel, a wealthy boy from the other side of her island.
When Daniel returns to his people, the fantastical gods who rule the island guide Ti Moune on a quest to test the strength of her love against the powerful forces of prejudice, hatred and death.
The production is an intimate show presented in a dance-movement style reminiscent of story theater, with minimal, though colorful, sets and costumes.
“Once On This Island” garnered eight Tony nominations for its Broadway run, including Best Musical, Book and Score. The original score by the Tony Award winning songwriting team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty includes tender ballads and rousing celebratory numbers for the ensemble cast.
The show dates are Jan. 27-29 and Feb. 3-5. Friday and Saturday performances begin at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
The theater is located at 1209 Fair Park Blvd. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students under 18. Call 956-412-7529 for more information.