Going South
The Spokane Civic Theatre’s “South Pacific,” opening this weekend, promises to deliver some extra grass-skirt shimmy. Seven authentic hula dancers – including one from Tonga – have been recruited to provide the swaying, graceful accompaniment to such classic 1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein songs as “Bali Hai.”
“It’s added a real flavor of the South Pacific to this show,” said director Yvonne A.K. Johnson.
That’s just one of the attractions of “South Pacific,” one of the most beloved and acclaimed musicals of all time. The show is loaded with instantly recognizable standards – “Some Enchanted Evening,” “Bali Hai,” “A Wonderful Guy” and “Younger than Springtime” – and rollicking production numbers – “There is Nothing Like a Dame” and “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair.”
What people tend to forget is that it was far ahead of its time in social consciousness, based as it was on James Michener’s “Tales of the South Pacific.” It explored themes of racial prejudice and interracial marriage without trivializing them. It won the 1950 Pulitzer Prize for drama – the first musical ever to do so.
“It’s bittersweet,” said Johnson. “People remember all the fun numbers and the dancing, but the story is serious. It’s not dated; we’re still dealing with all of the same issues.”
When the original Broadway production opened in 1949, it didn’t take audiences long to realize they were watching something special. In fact, the critics recognized it the next morning.
Richard Watts, Jr., New York Post: “I do not think it is first night excess which causes me to hail it as one of the finest musical plays in the history of the American theatre.”
William Hawkins, New York World-Telegram: “This is the ultimate modern blending of music and popular theatre to date, with the finest kind of balance between story and song, hilarity and heartbreak.”
Brooks Atkinson, New York Times: “If the country still has the taste to appreciate a masterly love song, ‘Some Enchanted Evening’ ought to become reasonably immortal.”
Johnson chose it to open the Civic’s 61st year because she discovered that it had not been staged there in 20 years.
“I believe you should do a show like this on a 10 to 15 year cycle,” said Johnson.
She has assembled a cast of 39 (including those hula dancers), which is one of the Civic’s biggest casts. Briane Green plays Nellie Forbush, Michael Muzatko plays Emile deBecque, Marianne McLaughlin plays Bloody Mary, Jaylan Renz plays Joseph Cable and Jerry Sciarrio plays Luther Billis.
Carolyn Jess is the musical director and Troy Nickerson and Kathie Doyle Lipe share the choreography duties.