When Broadway's Once On This Island performs at the Tony Awards on June 10, the eight-time Tony Award-nominated Best Revival of a Musical will be playing to three audiences: the home viewing audience, the 6000+ people in the auditorium at Radio City Music Hall, and 130 special guests who will be in onstage seating surrounding a set that includes a sand-filled beach, water, goats, and chickens. The onstage guests will be comprised of volunteers and staffers from three organizations that bring relief to areas impacted by natural disasters: All Hands Volunteers, Americares, and UNIDOS Disaster Relief and Recovery Program.

Once On This Island is set in a tropical village in the aftermath of a storm, and like audiences at the show's home at Circle in the Square Theatre, the invited guests will be surrounded by the world of the show in every direction. They can even put their feet in the sand(!)

Once On This Island producer Ken Davenport said, "Once On this Island is about rebuilding a community, not just with hard work and sweat, but with love and hope. On Broadway's biggest night, we wanted to take a moment to honor and celebrate the incredible people who are out there every day, getting their hands dirty, and helping people put their homes and hearts back together. Our performance is dedicated to them, and to everyone else out there who helps a neighbor when they are in need. Because that's what our world needs now more than ever."

All Hands Volunteers is a US-based, 501(c)3 non-profit organization that addresses the immediate and long-term needs of communities impacted by natural disasters by engaging and leveraging volunteers, partner organizations and local communities. Their vision is to demonstrate the power and value of volunteer service through the tangible work done, the hope it brings to suffering communities and the transformative experiences it provides for volunteers. Donations can be made HERE.

Americares is a health-focused relief and development organization that responds to people affected by poverty or disaster with life-changing medicine, medical supplies and health programs. For nearly 40 years, Americares has responded rapidly and effectively to the needs of local partners and their communities. Donations can be made HERE.

The goal of the UNIDOS Disaster Relief and Recovery Program is to serve the immediate and long-term needs of families and communities in Puerto Rico. To do so, the Hispanic Federation has taken unprecedented action, helping to coordinate hundreds of donation drives in the U.S. mainland, distributing millions of pounds of food, water and essentials to those most affected by the storm, delivering emergency relief aid to the 78 hard-hit municipalities, and seeding 15 million dollars to support emergency relief and recovery projects throughout Puerto Rico. Donations can be made HERE.

The Tony Awards will air live on CBS on Sunday, June 10th (8:00-11:00 PM ET) .

The new Broadway production of Once On This Island, produced by Ken Davenport and Hunter Arnold, is the recipient of eight Tony Award® nominations including Best Musical Revival, seven Drama Desk Award nominations, six Outer Critics Circle nominations and three Chita Rivera Award nominations. It opened on December 3 at The Circle in the Square Theatre (235 West 50th Street).

The new production is directed by Tony nominee Michael Arden, and choreographed by the critically-acclaimed Camille A. Brown. Once On This Island is written by the Tony Award-winning team Lynn Ahrens (Book and Lyrics) and Stephen Flaherty (Music), and based on the novel "My Love, My Love" by Rosa Guy. This production features new orchestrations by original orchestrator Michael Starobin who is joined by AnnMarie Milazzo.

Once On This Island is the tale of Ti Moune, a fearless peasant girl who falls in love with a wealthy boy from the other side of the island. When their divided cultures keep them apart, Ti Moune is guided by the powerful island gods, Erzulie, Asaka, Papa Ge, and Agwe, on a remarkable quest to reunite with the man who has captured her heart.

Bursting with Caribbean colors, rhythms and dance, the story comes to vibrant life in a striking production by Tony Award®-nominated director Michael Arden (Spring Awakening revival) and acclaimed choreographer Camille A. Brown. This production transforms the reality of a tropical village devastated by a storm into a fantastical world alive with hope.

Photo Credit: Joan Marcus

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