Day Nineteen: Once On This Island
Today's post is a musical that disappointed me, which I thought was Once On This Island.
I saw it over the summer (the junior version) and I thought it was just terribly put together (especially the girl who played Andrea; god it was awful!)
So, there's a raging storm and a little girl in this little pack cries out, so the other members of the clan tell the girl the story of Ti Moune (pronouced "tea moon"), a peasant girl who falls in love with a Grand Homme, Daniel Beauxhomme. (I'll explain that in a second.)
Here, the four gods of the island, called the Jewel of the Antilles (which is Haiti in real life) are introduced; Asaka, mother of the Earth; Agwe, god of water; Erzulie, goddess of love; and Papa Ge; demon of death. The peasants (classified as "black as night") live on one side of the island, and the Grand Hommes ("lighter-skinned descendants" of the original French planters of the island (aka white people)) with their slaves live on the other side.
One day, Agwe unleashes a terrible storm on the island, resulting in a horrible flood that wipes out the majority of the villages. However, the gods save little Ti Moune's life by placing her on a tree, high from the storm's waves. She's later adopted by Mama Euralie and Tonton Julian. Years later, Ti Moune, all grown up, pray to the gods to find her "purpose" and to let her be like the Grand Hommes. Hearing this, the gods laugh her. However, Erzulie suggests giving her love, because it's stronger than any of the other elements. Papa Ge now begins to argue the question on which is stronger: love or death. Agwe arranges a storm to make Daniel crash his car, so that Daniel and Ti Moune can meet.
Despite opposition from the other village members, including her own parents, Ti Moune cares and tries to heal Daniel. Ti Moune falls in love with the unconscious boy and imagines he loves her too. Papa Ge comes to claim Daniel's life, but Ti Moune sacrifices her life for his so that Daniel won't die. Papa Ge is angry, but later hints that he will return.
Tonton travels to the other side of the island to locate the Beauxhomme hotel. When he comes back, he brings some of Daniel's people with him to bring Daniel back. Tonton tells Ti Moune of the story of Daniel's people. Ti Moune becomes extremely upset and tells her parents she will go after Daniel and marry him. Her parents reluctantly let her go. On the way there, Ti Moune meets Asaka, who assures her that the Earth will provide anything for Ti Moune on her long journey to find Daniel. She arrives at the hotel gates and finds Daniel's room.
Daniel, still weak and not feeling well, doesn't remember but believes her after she describes a scar on his chest. They stay together while Erzulie gives them the gift of love. Daniel ignores the townspeople gossiping about her relationship with Ti Moune. Daniel appreciates that Ti Moune isn't like the rich girls he's come to know in his village.
At a ball held at the hotel, Andrea Deveraux, a daughter of Daniel's family friends, asks Ti Moune to dance for them; her plan was to make Ti Moune look bad in front of the other Grand Hommes. However, she gains admiration instead. Ti Moune finds out Daniel is engaged to Andrea, and Daniel, forced to follow his responsibilities, must go through the marriage, but insists they can be lovers forever. Ti Moune leaves the ball, feeling crushed. Later, Papa Ge comes back, reminding her that she sacrificed her life to save Daniel's- but she can cancel it if she kills Daniel.
Ti Moune enters Daniel's room with a knife, but finds herself unable to do it, proving Erzulie right, that love is stronger than death. Daniel begins to wake up and finds her in his room with the knife. His family throws her out of the hotel after discovering the appalling attempted murder. She waits for days for Daniel at the gates.
Daniel and Andrea marry, and they perform a tradition where they throw coins to the peasants outside of the hotel gates. Ti Moune calls to Daniel, who places a silver coin in her hand and leaves.
The storytellers now say that Erzulie took Ti Moune by the hand and brought her to the ocean, where Agwe allowed her to drown peacefully. Papa Ge received her and brought her back to shore, and Asaka turned her into a tree. It's now become a celebration of life and cracks open the hotel gates, allowing people of all social classes to come together as one. Her legacy brings together another peasant girl and a new young Grand Homme, Daniel and Andrea's son, as they play in her branches.
The storytellers explain how one peasant girl could bring the people of the island together using the power of love. "It helps us to remember, to forgive- and out of what we live and believe, our lives become the stories we weave." The little girl, whom the storytellers were speaking to, now begins to recite the story herself.
(In the junior version, Ti Moune just sits in front of the gates and Asaka turns her into a tree, right then and there.)
It really disappointed me. The show reminds me of Twilight, when Edward left Bella. Instead of Bella being strong, she almost kills herself. Same with Ti Moune! She devoted her life to Daniel and he didn't marry her, so she had nothing else to live for. These girls made it obvious that guys are everything to them, and that if he's not with you, then no one will have you. That just sends a bad message.
Plus, Daniel didn't like the girl he was engaged to. So why the hell did he have a kid with her? That just enrages me.
So, I guess I'll post "Forever Yours" (this is when Ti Mohne sacrifices her life to save Daniel's from Papa Ge).
One day, Agwe unleashes a terrible storm on the island, resulting in a horrible flood that wipes out the majority of the villages. However, the gods save little Ti Moune's life by placing her on a tree, high from the storm's waves. She's later adopted by Mama Euralie and Tonton Julian. Years later, Ti Moune, all grown up, pray to the gods to find her "purpose" and to let her be like the Grand Hommes. Hearing this, the gods laugh her. However, Erzulie suggests giving her love, because it's stronger than any of the other elements. Papa Ge now begins to argue the question on which is stronger: love or death. Agwe arranges a storm to make Daniel crash his car, so that Daniel and Ti Moune can meet.
Despite opposition from the other village members, including her own parents, Ti Moune cares and tries to heal Daniel. Ti Moune falls in love with the unconscious boy and imagines he loves her too. Papa Ge comes to claim Daniel's life, but Ti Moune sacrifices her life for his so that Daniel won't die. Papa Ge is angry, but later hints that he will return.
Tonton travels to the other side of the island to locate the Beauxhomme hotel. When he comes back, he brings some of Daniel's people with him to bring Daniel back. Tonton tells Ti Moune of the story of Daniel's people. Ti Moune becomes extremely upset and tells her parents she will go after Daniel and marry him. Her parents reluctantly let her go. On the way there, Ti Moune meets Asaka, who assures her that the Earth will provide anything for Ti Moune on her long journey to find Daniel. She arrives at the hotel gates and finds Daniel's room.
Daniel, still weak and not feeling well, doesn't remember but believes her after she describes a scar on his chest. They stay together while Erzulie gives them the gift of love. Daniel ignores the townspeople gossiping about her relationship with Ti Moune. Daniel appreciates that Ti Moune isn't like the rich girls he's come to know in his village.
At a ball held at the hotel, Andrea Deveraux, a daughter of Daniel's family friends, asks Ti Moune to dance for them; her plan was to make Ti Moune look bad in front of the other Grand Hommes. However, she gains admiration instead. Ti Moune finds out Daniel is engaged to Andrea, and Daniel, forced to follow his responsibilities, must go through the marriage, but insists they can be lovers forever. Ti Moune leaves the ball, feeling crushed. Later, Papa Ge comes back, reminding her that she sacrificed her life to save Daniel's- but she can cancel it if she kills Daniel.
Ti Moune enters Daniel's room with a knife, but finds herself unable to do it, proving Erzulie right, that love is stronger than death. Daniel begins to wake up and finds her in his room with the knife. His family throws her out of the hotel after discovering the appalling attempted murder. She waits for days for Daniel at the gates.
Daniel and Andrea marry, and they perform a tradition where they throw coins to the peasants outside of the hotel gates. Ti Moune calls to Daniel, who places a silver coin in her hand and leaves.
The storytellers now say that Erzulie took Ti Moune by the hand and brought her to the ocean, where Agwe allowed her to drown peacefully. Papa Ge received her and brought her back to shore, and Asaka turned her into a tree. It's now become a celebration of life and cracks open the hotel gates, allowing people of all social classes to come together as one. Her legacy brings together another peasant girl and a new young Grand Homme, Daniel and Andrea's son, as they play in her branches.
The storytellers explain how one peasant girl could bring the people of the island together using the power of love. "It helps us to remember, to forgive- and out of what we live and believe, our lives become the stories we weave." The little girl, whom the storytellers were speaking to, now begins to recite the story herself.
(In the junior version, Ti Moune just sits in front of the gates and Asaka turns her into a tree, right then and there.)
It really disappointed me. The show reminds me of Twilight, when Edward left Bella. Instead of Bella being strong, she almost kills herself. Same with Ti Moune! She devoted her life to Daniel and he didn't marry her, so she had nothing else to live for. These girls made it obvious that guys are everything to them, and that if he's not with you, then no one will have you. That just sends a bad message.
Plus, Daniel didn't like the girl he was engaged to. So why the hell did he have a kid with her? That just enrages me.
So, I guess I'll post "Forever Yours" (this is when Ti Mohne sacrifices her life to save Daniel's from Papa Ge).
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