South Pacific shows up in Buffalo at Shea’s Performing Arts Center this week. Diane and I have both seen South Pacific before, but we couldn’t resist this touring version. South Pacific has music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan. The play is based on James A. Michener’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1947 book Tales of the South Pacific. South Pacific has some of my favorite Broadway songs: “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair”, “Some Enchanted Evening”, “Happy Talk”, “Younger than Springtime,” and “I’m in Love with a Wonderful Guy.”
Here’s a sample:
I guess we’ll never have such brilliant music, song after song, written for musicals again.
The pacing and the music of SOUTH PACIFIC are 60 years old, Patti. Today’s audience want frenetic music and action on the stage. It’s a whole different genre now. But, for its time, SOUTH PACIFIC was ground-breaking with its focus on racial matters.
We saw this one at Lincoln Center in 2008, with Kellie O’Hara and Paulo Szot, one of the few shows in recent years we’ve paid full price to see (though it was quite a bit cheaper than Broadway prices at the time). It was great. There is not one weak song in the show. I can recommend the original (revival) cast album too. One of my favorite songs was the less celebrated but moving “This Nearly Was Mine.”
The advertising on this version of SOUTH PACIFIC made a big point of saying it was based on the LINCOLN CENTER play, Jeff. Diane and I enjoyed the music. It was just one memorable song after another. I, too, liked “This Nearly Was Mine.”
I saw this a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it also. George, you and Diane will have a great time.
Both Diane and I are familar with the music of SOUTH PACIFIC, Scott. I’ve seen the movie and we’ve seen a play version decades ago so was fun to watch this revival.
I’ve seen the original film several times, and have the CD of it which I listen to frequently, along with The Music Man, My Fair Lady, West Side Story and other favorite musicals.
By the way, you say this musical was “based on James A. Michener’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1947 book Tales of the South Pacific. South Pacific”. Maybe, just barely. I’ve read that book a couple of times, and I think you have to look pretty hard to see much of a connection.
This version of SOUTH PACIFIC opens with a type-written copy of the first page of TALES OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC projected on a screen, Rick. There’s a reference to a native woman selling human shrunken skulls. That made it into the play, but I agree: not much else did.