Clayton — Clayton Youth Theater will present “Once On This Island” this weekend. The island-themed musical, set in the French Antilles, pulses to Caribbean rhythms as it retells the story of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid.”

“It has a lot of meaning and power in it,” said Marie Spidale, a soon-to-be college freshman who plays Ti Moune, the female lead.

“The songs get totally stuck in your head,” she added. And it’s not just because Spidale has been rehearsing 12 hours a week all summer; the production features a band with drums, guitars, wind instruments and more, all bouncing along to a lilting calypso score. “It calls on a deeper sense of rhythm,” said Ann Meigs, the play’s music director. “Lots of musicals are melodic.”

In the play, the gods plot an arc of love and death for young Ti Moune, a peasant who falls for a rich man named Daniel Beauxhomme. “You don’t see too many shows with an island-type theme,” said Jordan Clifton, a rising senior at West Johnston and a Clayton Youth Theater regular. “With tough economic times like these, it’s like taking a trip to a Caribbean island for $11.”

Some of the young actors see the theater group as a springboard to acting careers, and a second option to their high school drama programs.

“Theater is our home,” said Anthony Acosta, who plays the wealthy love interest. “It’s a great community theater,” added Clifton.

Few other local groups cater to young actors like Clayton Youth Theater does. The Towne Players of Garner has a teens and kids program, and the Neuse Little Theater has a summer drama camp for kids but does mostly adult shows. In Clayton, the students seem to have made the program their own.

“The kids just crave this stuff,” said Nikki Dyke, who heads the group.

“We got it going to give these kids an outlet and help build their school programs.”