One Man's Opinion Season 4 Ep. 8: South Pacific at Goodspeed Musicals

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SOUTH PACIFIC
PRODUCTION
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Book by Oscar Hammerstein II & Joshua Logan
Adapted from the Pulitzer Prize winning novel "Tales of the South Pacific" by James A. Michener
Directed by Chay Yew
Choreographed by Paker Esse
Music Direction by Adam Souza
Scenic Design by Alexander Dodge
Costume Design by Junghyun Georgia Lee
Lighting Design by Amith Chandrashaker
Sound Design by Jay Hilton
Wig & Hair Design by Tommy Kurzman
Associate Music Director: Michael Gribbin
Dialect Coach: Jennifer Scapetis-Tycer
Orchestrations by Dan DeLange
Casting by Tara Rubin Casting: Peter Van Dam, CSA
Production Stage Manager: Chris Zaccardi
Director of Production: Endla Burrows
Production Manager: Dominick Pinto
Line Producer: Stephen Agosto
General Manager: Gretchen Wright
CAST
Danielle Wade as Ensign Nellie Forbush
Omar Lopez-Cepero as Emile de Becque
Sky Vaux Fuller as Ngana, his daughter
Emjay Roa as Jerome, his son
Eric Shawn as Henry/Morton Wise, Seabee
Joan Almedilla as Bloody Mary
Alex Humphreys as Liat, her daughter
Nicolette Shin as Bloody Mary's Assistant/Ensign Cora MacRae, Nurse
Keven Quillon as Luther Billis
Phil Sloves as Stewpot (Carpenter's Mate Second Class, George Watts)
Graham Ken as Professor
Cameron Loyal as Lt. Joseph Cable, United States Marine Corps
James Michael Reilly as Capt. George Bracket, United States Navy
Eric Briarley as Cmdr. William Harbison, United States Navy
Danny Lindgren as Lt. Buzz Adams/Marine Staff Sgt. Thomas Hassinger
Ethan Van Slyke as Yeoman Herbert Quale/Tom O'Brien, Seabee
John Michael Peterson as Radio Operator Bob McCaffrey/Kenneth Johnson, Sailor
Ethan Hardy Benson as Lt. Eustis Carmichael, Shore Patrolman/James Hayes, Sailor
Alexa Jane Lowis as Lt. Genevieve Marshall, Lead Nurse
Chloe Fox as Ensign Dinah Murphy, Nurse
Kelly Berman as Ensign Janet MacGregor, Nurse
Hannah Jewel Kohn as Ensign Connie Walewska

[@mgauerbach]

Spot on!

[@RachelsReviews]

Great review. I like the classic shows too

[@BroadwayGuy]

I have always been a fan of R & H, and never felt any need to apologize for it. "SOUTH PACIFIC" was my introduction to musical theatre. I was instantly aware that music, song, and dance could be used to tell important, dramatic stories. The genius here is that the All-American characters Nellie and Cable, feeling a bit superior to the "island people" and more than a bit out of place on the South Pacific islands, are forced to confront their own ingrained prejudices. Nellie and Cable are racists, but they don't realize it (because prejudices are carefully taught from year to year) until they are forced to look deep inside themselves. R & H were asking audiences to do the same. While characters and situations in "OKLAHOMA!" and "CAROUSEL" are indeed problematic today, Anna in "THE KING AND I" and Maria in "THE SOUND OF MUSIC" are bold, extremely strong women. And Nellie, the hick racist from Arkansas in "SOUTH PACIFIC" has the most dramatic character arch in the R & H cannon. Cable is disgusted by his ingrained prejudices, but is killed and therefore denied redemption. We may not like Nellie at the end of Act I, but by the final curtain of Act II, Nellie knows that her carefully taught prejudices are wrong, and has found the courage to move and live her life beyond them. Remember, "SOUTH PACIFIC" premiered in 1949, and the story is set in 1942. By 2024, we all "know that prejudices are wrong." Oh, do we?? How many of us have the courage of Nellie to move and live beyond our carefully taught prejudices in 2024?

[@BroadwayGuy]

You mention: What would happen if an African-American actor were cast as Jud Fry, the nominal "villain" in "OKLAHOMA!"? Several years ago, 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle, WA. did exactly that! Controversy followed. Nearly every critic began their review columns with: Jud is played by an African-American actor and Curly & Laurey were played by white actors, as if trying to stir something up. I refrained from that: merely commenting on the production itself and the performances. As I mentioned, the production was controversial. The production itself was so-so. The performances were mixed; not surprising, given some odd stylistic framework and bizarre directorial choices; not related to any actors' race or background. I wrote that they had transformed "OKLAHOMA!" into "Theatre of the Absurd."

[@njatty]

The US armed forces were segregated until 1948. Did this production include "My Girl Back Home," as the recent Lincoln Center revival did? Now that would have been awkward!

[@onemansopinion8135]

Yes. Yes it did have My Girl Back Home.