Some Say the Kid Critics Were in Awe of ONCE ON THIS ISLAND!

Hi, my name is Charles

Hey, I'm Isabella. Hi, my name is Tyland Sendu. I am 11 years old

I'm 10. I'm 13 years old. And the show I got to see was once on this island

If you listen very hard, you'll hear her for life. So come share with her our laughter and our tears

And as mysteries and miracles we've lost through the years. We tell the story, life is life

What's on this island is a mythical tale When a severe storm hits a remote island in the Antilles, chaos ensues

When the storm is over, a little girl is found in a tree by a middle-aged couple named Julian and Yoralee

They adopt her, name her T-Moon, and raise her for her early years

The main character, T-Moon, always stays true to herself And she grows up to wonder, why did the gods save me

Why didn't they save anyone else? Why was it just me? It was really cool

I loved the pre-show. I loved the pre-show for Once on This Island

and I thought it was really funny and helped build the kind of, like

spirit that everyone on this island knew each other and was friends It gave me an opportunity to connect with the cast and I got to feed a goat and pet a chicken The people would go to different people in the audience

and let them feed the goat, and that was really cool because I think goats are very cute

And I noticed that a lot of kids were really enjoying the pre-show

because it's a wonderful way to walk into a theater and feel like you've been welcomed into this story

and that you're not just watching a show, but you're a part of it

I walk into a colorful island village. There's sand and water, the smell of sea salt

It was really cool for people that sit in the front row because they get to put their feet in the sand

And then there's also on the corner when the water god comes out, it's like an entire little pond

I was transported into another world. As if the book and lyrics weren't enough to tell us what the characters were, we probably would have been able to tell from just the costumes alone

Plus, the costumes also had to look good from the front and the back

Once on this island is staged in a theater in the round, which allows you to see the characters from all different angles

There's not a bad seat in the house. I felt like the set and costume designer handled the show really well and that that was definitely one of the high points of the show I really liked We Dance I loved all the songs equally but that one I guess I liked the most

because it was just a really fun number. There was really cool like um dancing. My favorite song

was The Sad Tale of the Bosom. It's a very like bouncy song and it's one of the most well

directed, I think, in the whole show. It was one of the ones that will go through your head as you leave the theater

I love the song Waiting for Life. It has a fun calypso beat and it sets up the whole show

I kind of sort of maybe sing it in the shower. My favorite was Papa J because I think it's such a cool character

And I also loved how it's usually played by a guy, but instead they chose to play it like a girl

Or not like a girl, as a girl. The God of Love, played by Lea Salonga

who has a gorgeous voice, and she was so beautiful and kind on stage

My favorite God was Asaka, Mother of the Earth. She is played wonderfully by Alex Newell

who does a great rendition of Mama Will Provide, and it got some of the biggest applause in the whole show

the night that I saw it. I thought the moral of the story is love takes on different forms I think it was follow your dreams The moral I took from Once on this Island was don sacrifice your life unless it for a really good reason

I think kids would love Once on this Island. It's bright, it's fun, and it's essentially a fairy tale on an island

It is good for kids who like mythology and fairy tales, and that is essentially what this is

It's a very, like, upbeat and energetic musical and a lot of numbers in it are very, like

dancey and I think that kids would really like it. I would definitely recommend taking a kid who's about maybe eight or over to see this

show because I think they would really enjoy it. Epic. Energetic. Mythical

Look with me, little girl, and I'll take you by Round your spend, little friend, and I'll be by your side

That's what a mama's will Take your child, the eye, and whatever you need

Mama will Mama will, mama will For Mama will Provide