Revivals South Pacific (musical)

florence henderson nellie, 1967

a limited run of south pacific new york city center light opera company opened @ new york city center on may 4, 1955, closing on may 15, 1955. directed charles atkin, , had costumes motley , sets mielziner. cast included richard collett emile, sandra deel nellie, carol lawrence liat, sylvia syms bloody mary , gene saks professor. second limited run of same production different cast opened @ city center on april 24, 1957, closing on may 12, 1957. directed jean dalrymple, , cast included robert wright emile, mindy carson nellie , hall reprising role of bloody mary. production given again in 1961, time ann mclerie , william chapman in lead roles.

there have been many stock or summer revivals of south pacific. one, in 1957 @ long island s westbury music fair, occurred @ same time arkansas governor orval faubus resisting integration of central high school little rock nine. nellie s pronouncement little rock met boos. logan refused allow nellie s hometown changed, speech made before each performance asking audience s forbearance, forthcoming.

there 2 revivals @ lincoln center. richard rodgers produced 1967 revival, starred florence henderson , giorgio tozzi, had been rossano brazzi s singing voice in 1958 film. joe layton director. cast album issued on lp , later on cd. musical toured north america 1986 1988, headlined robert goulet , barbara eden, david carroll cable, armelia mcqueen bloody mary , lia chang liat, first directed geraldine fitzgerald , ron field. new york city opera production in 1987 featured alternating performers justino díaz , stanley wexler emile, , susan bigelow , marcia mitzman nellie.

a 1988 west end revival starred gemma craven , emile belcourt, supported bertice reading, among others, , directed roger redfern. ran @ prince of wales theatre january 20, 1988 january 14, 1989.

21st century

a new production slight revisions book , score produced royal national theatre @ company s olivier theatre in london limited run december 2001 through april 2002, timed celebrate centenary of richard rodgers birth. trevor nunn directed, musical staging matthew bourne , designs john napier. lauren kennedy nellie, , australian actor philip quast played emile, borrowing 1958 film, production placed first emile-nellie scene after introduction of cable, billis , bloody mary.

a british touring production of south pacific opened @ blackpool grand theatre on august 28, 2007. tour ended @ cardiff new theatre on july 19, 2008. starred helena blackman nellie , dave willetts emile. julian woolford directed, choreography chris hocking. production noted staging of overture, charted nellie s journey little rock, arkansas, south pacific. on entering theatre, audience first saw map of u.s., not theater of war.

a broadway revival of south pacific opened on april 3, 2008 @ lincoln center s vivian beaumont theater. bartlett sher directed, musical staging christopher gattelli , associate choreographer joe langworth. opening cast starred kelli o hara nellie, paulo szot emile , matthew morrison lt. cable, danny burstein billis , loretta ables sayre bloody mary. laura osnes replaced o hara during seven-month maternity leave, beginning in march 2009, , between january , august 2010. szot alternated david pittsinger emile. production closed on august 22, 2010, after 37 previews , 996 regular performances.

with few exceptions, production received rave reviews. ben brantley wrote in new york times:

i know re not supposed expect perfection in imperfect world, m darned if can find 1 serious flaw in production. (yes, second act remains weaker first, mr. sher makes forget that.) of supporting performances, including of ensemble, feel precisely individualized, right down how wear catherine zuber s researched period costumes.

the production, of original principals, taped , broadcast live in hd on august 18, 2010 on pbs television show live lincoln center.

a production based on 2008 broadway revival opened @ barbican theatre in london on august 15, 2011 , closed on october 1, 2011. sher again directed, same creative team broadway revival. szot , welsh national opera singer jason howard alternated in role of emile, samantha womack nellie, ables sayre bloody mary , alex ferns billis. production received positive reviews. u.k tour followed, womack, ables sayre , ferns.

a u.s. national tour based on 2008 revival began in san francisco @ golden gate theatre on september 18, 2009. sher directed, , cast starred rod gilfry (emile) , carmen cusack (nellie). sher production produced opera australia @ sydney opera house august september 2012 , @ princess theatre, melbourne through october 2012. starred teddy tahu rhodes emile, lisa mccune nellie, kate ceberano bloody mary , eddie perfect billis. production played in brisbane 2012 holiday season, christine anu bloody mary, , resumed touring in australia in september 2013.