Once On This Island Soundtrack Lyrics
SYNOPSIS Lyrics
There are a maximum of 18 roles in ONCE ON THIS ISLAND. All the cast members are storytellers; storytellers who join together during an Island storm to calm a small child, and together enact the tale of TiMoune, a young girl rescued from a flood by Gods who seem to have planned a special destiny for her. TiMoune is adopted by caring parents and raised in a peasant village which is socially separate from the rich city behind gates on the other side of the island. TiMoune grows into adulthood wishing for more in her life than the peasant life she knows and entreats the Gods of Water, Earth, Love and Death to help her begin her destiny. The God of Water devises a plan by which she meets a boy from the wealthy caste forbidden to her, and the Gods wager whether she will trade life for love.
The boy, Daniel Beauxhommes, is mortally injured in an accident near TiMoune’s village. TiMoune discovers him, but the God of Death is also present to claim his life. The God of Death decides to test TiMoune and gives her the choice of trading her life for Daniel’s. TiMoune accepts the trade, saving Daniel from death. She now belongs to the God of Death and is his to take when he wants.
TiMoune brings Daniel to her village to nurse him to health, setting off a panic among the villagers who are fearful of any interaction with the rich, powerful Beauxhommes. They furiously pray to the Gods who they fear TiMoune has angered by challenging the social system.
Daniel is eventually taken back to his home in the city. Although her parents express their concern, TiMoune follows him, encouraged by the Goddess of Earth. She convinces Daniel to let her stay with him to better help him heal. Daniel falls in love with TiMoune whose simplicity and sweet innocence make her unlike other girls he has known. The Goddess of Love, seeing TiMoune’s selfless and pure love, declares that TiMoune will live forever through the power of her love, thus overcoming the limitations of death. The God of Death does not believe that love can triumph over death and the 2 Gods engage in a battle for TiMoune’s soul.
The villagers and city dwellers gossip among themselves about the couple’s relationship. Daniel is already engaged to Andrea Devereaux, a match made by their families when they were children. TiMoune learns of the engagement at a Ball given by Daniel’s family. She is heartbroken and tries to convince Daniel to marry her instead, but Daniel is locked within his society.
The God of Death gives TiMoune a chance to save herself from his bargain, by killing Daniel. Unwilling to kill her love, TiMoune succumbs to death, but the beauty of her self sacrifice moves the Gods to transform her spirit into a tree. The tree’s roots grow deep and break through the gates of the city, breaking down the barriers that separated the city from the village. And in time, a young village girl sitting in the tree meets and falls in love with Daniel’s son and TiMoune’s spirit sets them free to love.
The storytellers finish their tale, encouraging the little girl, who is now calmed, to keep the story alive so people can learn from it. The storm ends, the stars come out and the little girl turns to the audience to tell a story.