On Stage Now:
Once On This Island

Book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty.
Based on the novel "My Love, My Love" by Rosa Guy
Directed by Michael Burnett


July 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, 31
at 8:00 pm

Matineee on Sun., July 18 & 25
at 2:00 pm


FREE preview on July 8 for Senior Citizens only.

$20 General Admission / $15 with Student ID

Buy tickets for ONCE ON THIS ISLAND

CAST:
Principals: Michael Bobenhausen, DJ Deboben, Dane Ross Jackson, Nick Kuell, Catherine McCollian, Caitlin Nolan, Sammy Panzarino, Christina Pares, Melanie Romano, Kira Wallace and featuring Jordan Williams as little Ti Moune

Storytellers: Steven Cognato, Kelly Gleason, Samantha Gronwoldt, Zachary Jackson, Leila Noone, Deyon Rosado, Megan Sniffin, Mariel Vincente, Daniel Wencek


Plot Summary: Taking place on a Caribbean island divided by social prejudice, Once On This Island is a calypso-flavored re-telling of the traditional “Little Mermaid” tale. The show revolves around Ti Moune, a poor peasant girl, who falls in love with Daniel, an upper class boy whose life she saves after a car crash. Various gods control the peasants’ lives including the god of Love, (Erzulie) Earth (Asaka), Water (Agwe), and Death (Papa Ge). The show focuses on the effects social class divisions have on love.

Haitian Health Foundation

A Charitable Outreach to Neighbors in Need

In our continuing efforts to be mindful of the "community" part of community theater, TBTA will be accepting donations for Haitian Health Foundation during the run of "Once On This Island". We will also be accepting non-perishable food items on July 9th, opening night.

About Haitian Health Foundation:  HHF’s main facilities are located in Jérémie, Haiti, in the western end of Haiti-where people depend on subsistence farming, charcoal production, and other menial jobs for their livelihood. The average income is just $90-$300 US per year. The area is very isolated, and even under the most favorable conditions communication is scant, with no health services for the poor. Living conditions are dehumanizing-families crushed into hovels of banana leaves and thatch, shacks unsuitable for human habitation. It is heartbreaking to see children rooting with animals through the garbage for scraps of food.

HHF has created a stable and loving preventive and curative health and development program in the poorest area of the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. In addition to the city of Jérémie, HHF provides support to over 100 rural mountain villages. While cynics decry the impotence of individuals to change the world, HHF continues to change lives-one person at a time. HHF is proud of an overhead of less than 8 cents per donated dollar, with over 92 percent of funds collected going directly to services for the poor.

ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, set in Haiti, begins with a terrible storm and an orphaned girl is taken in by a couple that have very little to give other than love. The fable they tell her to calm her from the storm becomes the story of our show. When $600 can build a sturdy cement home and $300 can feed a malnourished child for a year, we hope to raise enough to build a few homes and provide a substantial amount of food.

To donate, visit: http://www.haitianhealthfoundation.org and mention TBTA, or look for the specially marked donation jars at TBTA throughout the month of July. We are also asking opening night patrons to bring non-perishable food items (specifically peanut butter) to the July 9th show.  Food donations will be driven to Norwich, CT the next morning to be packed on a land/sea container leaving for Haiti that weekend.

 

Featured Performer:
Christina Y. E. Parés

Christina Pares
It was only 10 years ago, when Christina Ellington-Parés joined the cast of West Side Story as Maria at Danbury High School, that she decided to pursue musical theatre at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. While in college she played Millie in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Ruth in A Raisin in the Sun, Ethel Waters in Sweet Mama Stringbean and readings of As You Like It, A Winter’s Tale, and Othello.
A humanitarian, Christina has always been interested in speaking to communities about strengthening educational programs and our education system. The Miss America Program was her launching pad for this as she won Miss New York 2004 and was Top 10 at Miss America where she has earned state and national recognition. She traveled over 60,000 miles with experiences including rallying with Senator Hillary Clinton, participating in local documentaries on education, and speaking at college panels and with the New York City Department of Education. She also became the spokeswoman that year for Go Red for Women initiative with American Cancer Society to raise awareness of dangerous heart risks with black women.

As a performer, she welcomed home troops from Iraq, sang for Former Mayor Guiliani, and starred in her own cabaret show The Night with the Voice in New York. She gave back to the Miss America Organization by becoming a New York City director, pageant coach, producer, choreographer, Marketing Director, and emcee. She has been honored to judge for over 200 talent and pageant competitions all over the country. Christina continues participating in pageants as she strives to aim for the Mrs. America title. In 2008, she was 1st Runner Up to Mrs. Connecticut America and, later that year, she earned the title of Mrs. US of America.

Christina has returned to her love for teaching by earning her Masters from NYU. She is certified in theatre education and is finalizing her math education certification. She taught at a Harlem charter school in New York City as a 5th Grade Math Teacher and is now continuing that role at a charter school in Bridgeport, CT.

She currently lives in Danbury with her husband, Michael, and their crazy oversized puppy, Dugga. Christina will play the lead role of Ti Moune in "Once On This Island" at TBTA which opens on July 9.

Our 2010 Season!

The Brookfield Theatre for the Arts is excited to announce its 2010 Season. More information will be available soon. Visit again soon as information will be updated on an on-going basis.
Last of the Red Hot Lovers       Once On This Island

Spelling Bee       Wait Until Dark

SUBSCRIBE NOW:   Download our printable pdf order form!

NOTE TO ADVERTISERS: We are currently accepting ads for our 2010 Season Programs. Please contact tbta@brookfieldtheatre.org or andy@arkett.com.


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