You may have seen signs up around Hillsborough, advertising a musical called Once on This Island. This musical, performed by students here at HHS, is a retelling of the classic Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale, “The Little Mermaid.”

Once on This Island is the story of an orphaned peasant girl, Ti Moune, who rescues a wealthy young man, Daniel, nearly on his death bed after a horrible car crash.  The Four Gods of her religion test the strength of love against the strength of death.  Ti Moune sacrifices herself for Daniel’s health, and the God’s transform her into a tree, meant for shelter and protection for those who seek her help.

Junior Emily Obenauer was fantastic in the role of Ti Moune and classmate Matthew Porowski was just as spectacular in the role of Daniel.

Over 1,000 fans came see the drama department’s the five performances, watching in awe as the high school students sang and danced their way on stage.

“I had such a fun time being part of Once On This Island,” Freshman Brandon Luckenbaugh said.  “I made so many new friends and learned many new things from them and our amazing directors.”

While all cast members agree being a part of the musical is an amazing way to have fun, it is also a rigorous activity that requires full commitment. Most people do not realize just how much time and effort is put into these performances.  Preparations began last summer, while auditions for specific roles were held in December.  

“I’m not exaggerating when I say hundreds of hours of work,” Director Casie Fitzgerald said.  “For the students, they need to learn the music, learn their choreography, learn their lines, and then just practice, practice, practice. Before the show started, we ran tech rehearsals until 10:00 p.m. most nights. On top of that are the weekly rehearsals after school and on the weekends. But every second was worth it. And every second counted.”

Fitzgerald commends her students for all they have done in the program.  She emphasized the gratifying feeling of watching her students grow, learn, and succeed. The “before” and “after” feeling that comes with watching her students’ performances is what drives her to push her students to be the best.

“Their willingness to work hard and keeping going, even when they were exhausted or feeling down was great,” Fitzgerland said.  “I am so proud of them for coming together as a family and a cast and telling a story that is so important and so timeless. They continue to make this job a dream come true, and I am so grateful for that.”