By Ally Morrison
Jamorris Rivers of Vestavia Hills will be playing the role of a storyteller in a production at Red Mountain Theatre, “Once on This Island,” Feb. 11- 27.
Rivers will take to the stage singing and dancing in this Olivier Award-winning musical.
“Once on This Island” focuses on a fearless peasant girl, Ti Moune, who falls in love with a wealthy boy from the other side of the island. As their divided cultures continue to keep them apart, Ti Moune is guided by strong island gods on a quest to reunite with the man who captivated her heart.
Originally from Dadeville, Rivers moved to Vestavia Hills with his wife, Carleton, and three children. He graduated from the University of Alabama as a dance major and returned to his alma mater as an instructor of jazz and ballet, in addition to teaching dance history and modern dance. He recently completed his master’s at Hollins University and is a member of the Alabama Dance Council board of directors.
Rivers said he got involved with Red Mountain Theatre productions through Executive Director Keith Cromwell.
“I met Keith at the Dance Foundation in 2016,” Rivers said. “The theater was putting on ‘Fiddler on the Roof,’ and he asked me to choreograph. That production has such iconic choreography, so I said yes. I’ve been in love with theater ever since.”
Rivers has served as a choreographer for a multitude of productions, including “Memphis,” “Porgy and Bess,” and “My Fair Lady.”
Rivers said “Once on This Island” is a magical piece and relates love to loving one another in the community.
“As I watched Keith work, he was really grooming the scene and making magic happen in the studio,” Rivers said. “Something that kept resonating with me was this sort of love and sacrifice. Sometimes we think of love as sentimental, but we rarely think of love as, ‘I’m giving up myself for the sake of others.’ We see that in our community, and we certainly see that through the show.”
Rivers said the production is an even more exciting prospect after shut-downs from the pandemic.
“We desperately need art at a time like this,” Rivers said. “It’s coming together, and yes there have been challenges, but it’s beautiful and it’s going to be spectacular.”
For more information on showtimes or to purchase tickets, visit redmountaintheatre.org.