"South Pacific" is arguably Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II's best and best-known work - which is saying something considering their illustrious resume that includes "The Sound of Music" and "Oklahoma!"
The musical debuted on Broadway in 1949 and has been a staple of American theatre ever since. This year the Lincoln Center Theater has produced a revival of the show and with Intiman Theatre's Bartlett Sher directing, the classic Polynesian/World War II spectacle would be in capable hands. The production, which is quite superb, plays through Feb. 21 at 5th Avenue Theatre.
The show opens onto the expansive, rattan veranda of Polynesian plantation owner Emile de Becque (Rod Gilfry) where his two children, Ngana (Christina Carrera) and Jerome (CJ Palma) practice singing "Dites-Moi." It's a calm, sun-filled morning on this U.S. military occupied island, one of dozens strung along the Polynesian corridor in the Pacific Ocean, where the Japanese Navy may be launching vessels out to sea.
But de Becque isn't concerned with the occupation nor the Japanese. The widower has met the backwoodsy Ensign Nellie Forbush from Oklahoma and is smitten. Forbush (Carmen Cusack) is part of the U.S. Navy squadron stationed on the island, and while she has her job to do, she too feels the pull of de Becque's charm and desire. And this shared feeling is expressed as they sing "Some Enchanted Evening," a masterwork melody that ranks among Broadway's best. And that's part of the fun, anticipating the opening notes of classics such as, "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair," "Bali Ha'i" and "There is Nothin' Like a Dame."
Michael Yeargan's sets, Donald Holder's exquisite lighting design, Trude Rittmann's fun dance arrangements and a solid supporting cast seamlessly fill the space around the love story. Particularly good was Matthew Saldivar as Luther Billis, a Brooklyn-based profiteer with a big, true heart. His Brooklyn accent is hilarious as is his physical comedy.
Anderson Davis, as Lt. Joseph Cable, was also a standout. His smooth voice was a pleasure to listen to during the wonderfully sweet "Younger Than Springtime."
With the passage of time, "South Pacific" reflects a distant and bygone era, one that is harder to relate to. The image of the military is quite different now than it was then. The opulent lifestyle led by Polynesian plantation owner and lead character Emile de Becque is a strange and dreamlike notion to those currently living check to check. And has anyone ever really spoken in that stilted, 1940s fashion? Let alone strive to get married at a moment's notice? It is a musical, the object of which is to suspend disbelief and get lost in the fantasy. But in today's sophisticated world, that's harder to do.
What does manage to stay timeless, and is revealed as a testament to Hammerstein's book being ahead of its time, is the message about racism - deftly expressed through Lt. Cable's song, "You've Got to be Carefully Taught." It's not heavy handed, and while you may hum the songs on your way out of the theatre, it's that message that you think about.
Through Feb. 21 at the 5th Avenue Theatre, 1308 5th Ave. (206) 625-1900.[[In-content Ad]]
