The Tale of South Pacific
If somehow you have missed seeing this truly exceptional show, you can catch it now on Broadway. Rogers and Hammerstein’s 1949 Broadway hit musical has returned in full voice and glory. The world-renowned creators of so many well known and beloved musicals (The Sound of Music, Oklahoma! and The King and I, to mention a few), have never lost their luster – in fact it keeps getting polished! South Pacific may end up being the best loved and most performed Broadway musical of all time.
The first production of South Pacific took place at the Majestic Theatre on Broadway in 1949, and ran with almost 2,000 performances for more than five years. During that time, and in the years ensuing, it has probably won more awards and delighted more theatregoers than any other musical in history. This musical won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1950, and has won at least 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Libretto. It is the only musical ever to win all four Tony Awards for acting.
South Pacific, the musical, was adapted by Joshua Logan and Oscar Hammerstein from James A. Michener’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel Tales of the South Pacific. The story line involves not only war and the attitudes and behavior of men and women in or awaiting combat, but also inevitably the influences (and clashes) of different cultures. In addition to performances by Mary Martin (as Nellie Forbush, a na?ve nurse from Nebraska) and Ezio Pinza, the opera star, (as Emile de Becque, the older, rich and somewhat ‘disenchanted’ French planter) in its debut on Broadway, countless other major stars have played a roll in this long-running and always enchanting musical drama.
Emile de Becque, a wealthy and seemingly worldly planter, loses his heart over Nellie Forbush, a young nurse from Nebraska who admits to being “a cockeyed optimist”. Nellie falls for Emile too, but life-long conditioning gets in the way when she discovers that his wife was a “dark-skinned” woman. With a similar problem, Lt. Joe Cable, a U.S. Marine, finds himself deeply attracted to another “dark-skinned” woman. He thinks she is a prostitute, but even when he learns the truth – that she is in love with him and she is the innocent daughter of the Tonkinese Islander nicknamed Bloody Mary, he can’t get past his own conditioning
While all of the music and lyrics performed in South Pacific are thrilling and moving in their own right, possibly none presents the age-old conflict of prejudice and fear as clearly as the explanation given to Emile when he wonders why Nellie has decided that she can’t marry him after all. The song “You’ve Got To Be Taught” pretty much says it all.
As the war continues, Lt. Cable persuades Emile to go along on a dangerous mission to a nearby island occupied by the Japanese, a mission he hopes will make a crucial difference in the balance of power in the war. Emile, in despair over his lost love, goes, and Nellie is torn with conflicting emotions. By the time the mission is over, Lt Joe Cable has been killed, and Emile barely escapes with his life. He returns, however, to a happy ending: Nellie and his ‘half-caste’ children meet him together, and love conquers all, as it should.
There are many reasons for the enduring popularity and immense draw of South Pacific, the musical. The music, the lyrics and the acting performed in thousands and thousands of shows over the years have delighted audiences world wide. Not the least of its appeal, however, is the triumph of love over hate and fear, and the acknowledgement of common bonds between men and women that can overcome all obstacles.
If you happen to be in New York this winter, you will want to get a breath of the South Pacific on Broadway. No matter where you are, you can get one of the many DVD’s of the show. You can also go online to find tickets in your area. Whoever you are, South Pacific will warm your heart. Guaranteed.
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