Once on This Island to Receive Diversity Award From Actors' Equity Association

Actors' Equity Association has announced that Once on This Island will receive the 11th annual Extraordinary Excellence in Diversity on Broadway Award for the 2017-18 season.

Presented by the organization's National Equal Employment Opportunity Committee, the award honors shows that exemplify and promote the union's founding principles of diversity, inclusion, nontraditional casting, and equal opportunity for all who work in theater. Previous winners include Hamilton, Waitress, Come From Away, and Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812.

The award will be presented to representatives from the show at a ceremony later today, August 8, at the equity's New York office.

Once on This Island features a book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty. The musical, which debuted on Broadway in 1990, is based on the novel My Love, My Love by Rosa Guy, and the revival production features new orchestrations by original orchestrator Michael Starobin, joined by AnnMarie Milazzo. Michael Arden's production, which won the 2018 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical, runs at the Circle in the Square Theatre.