Creation South Pacific (musical)

1 creation

1.1 inception
1.2 composition
1.3 casting , out-of-town previews
1.4 original production

creation
inception

in 1940s, composer richard rodgers , lyricist oscar hammerstein ii, each longtime broadway veteran, joined forces , began collaboration writing 2 musicals became massive hits, oklahoma! (1943) , carousel (1945). innovation time in integrating song, dialogue , dance, oklahoma! serve model broadway shows decades . in 1999, time magazine named carousel best musical of century, writing rodgers , hammerstein set standards 20th century musical . next effort, allegro (1947), comparative disappointment, running less year, although turned small profit. after this, 2 determined achieve hit.

according director joshua logan, friend of both theatre men, , leland hayward mentioned michener s best-selling book rodgers possible basis duo s next play, composer took no action. logan recalled pointed out hammerstein, read michener s book , spoke rodgers; 2 agreed project long had majority control, hayward grudgingly agreed. michener, in 1992 memoirs, however, wrote stories first pitched movie concept mgm kenneth mackenna, head of studio s literary department. mackenna s half brother jo mielziner, had designed sets carousel , allegro. michener states mielziner learned of work mackenna , brought attention of hammerstein , rodgers, pledging create sets if took on project.

hayward attempted buy rights michener outright, offering $500; michener declined. although playwright lynn riggs had received 1.5% of box office grosses right adapt green grow lilacs oklahoma!, michener never regretted accepting 1 percent of gross receipts south pacific. rodgers , hammerstein began work on adaptation, michener worked lyricist, rodgers concerned implications of setting, fearing have include ukuleles , guitars, disliked. michener assured him instrument had ever heard natives play emptied barrel of gasoline, drummed upon clubs.

composition

rodgers (left) , hammerstein

soon after purchase of rights, rodgers , hammerstein decided not include ballet, in earlier works, feeling realism of setting not support one. concerned adaptation focused on fo dolla   , story of encounter between cable , liat, similar madama butterfly, hammerstein spent months studying other stories , focused attention on our heroine , tale of romance between nellie , emile. team decided include both romances in musical play. conventional @ time if 1 love story in musical serious, other more comedic, in case both serious , focused on racial prejudice. decided increase role played luther billis in stories, merging experiences , elements of several other characters him. billis s wheeling , dealing provide comic relief. shortened title south pacific – rodgers related producers tired of people making risqué puns on word tales .

in drafts of musical, hammerstein gave significant parts 2 characters came have minor roles, bill harbison , dinah culbert. harbison 1 of major characters in tales of south pacific; model officer @ start, gradually degenerates point where, battle imminent, requests influential father-in-law procure him transfer post in united states. hammerstein conceived of him rival emile nellie s affections, , gave him song, bright young executive of today . redrafts focused play on 2 couples, harbison became less essential, , relegated small role executive officer commander of island, captain brackett. dinah, nurse , friend of nellie, major character in michener s work, , seen possible love interest billis, though actual romance limited navy regulations forbidding fraternization between officers (all american nurses in world war ii commissioned officers) , enlisted men. m gonna wash man right outa hair originated duet dinah , nellie, dinah beginning song , developing theme. according lovensheimer, nellie s , dinah s friendship became increasingly incidental plot writing continued. hammerstein realized decision wash emile out of hair had nellie s. did scene have dramatic potential nellie s emotional transition realizes love emile. in final version, dinah retains 1 solo line in song.

joshua logan, in memoirs, stated after months of effort in first half of 1948, hammerstein had written first scene, outline, , lyrics. hammerstein having trouble due lack of knowledge of military, matter logan, veteran of armed forces, able help. dialogue written in consultation between 2 of them, , logan asked credited work. rodgers , hammerstein decided while logan receive co-writing credit on book, receive no author s royalties. logan stated contract putting these changes force sent on lawyer instructions unless signed within 2 hours, logan need not show rehearsals director. logan signed, although lawyer did not tell him ultimatum. through decades followed, logan brought matter time time, demanding compensation, when included version of events in 1976 memoirs, disputed rodgers (hammerstein had died in 1960). rodgers biographer meryle secrest suggests logan compensated when south pacific filmed in 1958, logan received substantial share of profits director. according michener biographer stephen j. may, difficult assess how of final book josh logan responsible for. estimates 30 40 percent. percentage not critical perhaps knowledge of military lore , directing theatre, without creation of south pacific have collapsed during summer of 1948.

rodgers composed music once received lyrics hammerstein. number of stories told of speed wrote music south pacific  s numbers. happy talk said have been composed in twenty minutes; when hammerstein, had sent lyrics messenger, called check whether rodgers had received them, partner informed him had both lyrics , music. legend has composed bali ha in ten minutes on coffee in logan s apartment; did create in time frame three-note motif begins both song , musical. hammerstein s lyrics bali ha inspired stage backdrop designer jo mielziner had painted. feeling island of bali ha did not appear mysterious enough, mielziner painted mist near summit of volcano. when hammerstein saw thought of lyric, head sticking low-flying cloud , rest of song followed that.

casting , out-of-town previews

ezio pinza

in may 1948, rodgers received telephone call edwin lester of los angeles civic light opera. lester had signed former metropolitan opera star ezio pinza $25,000 star in new show, mr. ambassador. show had not been written, , never be. lester hoped rodgers take on pinza s contract. pinza had become bored met s leading lyric bass, , having played great opera houses, sought other worlds conquer. rodgers saw pinza perfect role of emile. lester broached subject pinza , wife/business manager , provided them copy of tales of south pacific. when pinza read book, told lester, sell me right away! pinza s contract south pacific included clause limiting singing 15 minutes per performance. pinza s signing, rodgers , hammerstein decided make lead male role, subordinating story of pair of young lovers. unusual on broadway romantic lead older male.

mary martin

for role of nellie, rodgers sought mary martin, had been cast originate role of laurey in oklahoma! martin playing title role in touring company of annie gun. after hammerstein , rodgers saw play in los angeles in mid-1948, asked consider part. martin reluctant sing opposite pinza s powerful voice; rodgers assured see 2 never sang @ same time, promise kept. rodgers , martin lived near each other in connecticut, , after tour rodgers invited martin , husband, richard halliday, home hear 3 songs musical had completed, none of them nellie. enchanted evening struck martin, , although disappointed song not her, agreed part. although nellie , emile developed characters in michener s stories, during creation of south pacific, rodgers, hammerstein , logan began adapt roles talents of martin , pinza , tailor music voices.

martin influenced several of songs. while showering 1 day during rehearsals, came idea scene in shampoo hair onstage. gave rise m gonna wash man right outa hair . built around primitive shower logan remembered time in military, song became 1 of talked-about in south pacific. introduce of martin s numbers her, rodgers called on apartment, , hammerstein played m in love wonderful guy her. when martin essayed herself, sang final 26 words, intended, single breath, , fell off piano bench. rodgers gazed down @ her, s want. never differently. must feel couldn t squeeze out sound.

the producers held extensive auditions fill other roles. myron mccormick cast billis; according logan, no 1 else considered. 2 roles gave trouble of cable , bloody mary. tried harold keel role of cable (he had played curly in west end production of oklahoma!) find had signed contract mgm under name howard keel. william tabbert cast cable, though logan instructed him lose 20 pounds (9.1 kg). african-american singer juanita hall cast bloody mary; logan recalled @ audition, took squatting pose proclaimed, bloody mary , don t dare cast else! betta st. john, under name betty striegler had replaced bambi linn louise in carousel, took role of liat. logan directed (he , hayward co-produced rodgers , hammerstein), mielziner did stage design, trude rittmann , robert russell bennett prepared orchestration, , elizabeth montgomery of motley theatre design group designed costumes. salvatore dell isola served music director.

original production

playbill cover

rehearsals began @ broadway s belasco theatre on february 2, 1949. there no formal chorus; each of nurses , seabees given name, and, in case of men, $50 equip clothing felt characters wear military surplus shops lined west 42nd street. don fellows, first lt. buzz adams, drew on wartime experience marine purchase non-regulation baseball cap , black ankle boots. martin , pinza had not known each other, formed strong friendship. of mood backstage, agreed: throughout rehearsals logan fiery, demanding, , brilliantly inventive. implemented lap changes (pioneered rodgers , hammerstein in allegro), whereby actors coming on next on darkened part of stage 1 scene concluded. allowed musical continue without interruption scene changes, making action seamless. had seabees pacing , forth caged animals during there nothing dame , staging effective never changed during run of show. 1 logan innovation rodgers , hammerstein reluctantly accepted have cable remove shirt during blackout after , liat passionately embrace on first meeting, partial nakedness symbolizing lovemaking. planned, martin supposed conclude m in love wonderful guy exuberant cartwheel across stage. eliminated after vaulted orchestra pit, knocking out rittman.

there no major difficulties during 4 weeks of rehearsal in new york; martin later remembered gypsy run-through friends , professional associates on bare stage met of enthusiastic applause remember. 1 of few people having trouble pinza, had difficulty adjusting constant alterations in show – used operatic world, role changed once learned. pinza s mispronunciations of english exasperated logan, , driving new haven, connecticut first week of previews, pinza discussed wife possibility of return met, knew audiences welcome him. told him let south pacific  s attendees decide themselves. when tryouts began in new haven on march 7, play immediate hit; new haven register wrote, south pacific should make history .

nevertheless, number of changes made in new haven , in subsequent 2 weeks of previews in boston. show running long; logan persuaded friend, playwright emlyn williams, go on script , cut extraneous dialogue. there wide expectations of hit; producer mike todd came backstage , advised show not taken new york because s damned them . show moved boston, successful playwright george s. kaufman joked people lining there @ shubert theatre don t want anything ... want push money under doors.

from left: logan, rodgers, hammerstein, martin , michener

south pacific opened on broadway on april 7, 1949, @ majestic theatre. advance sale $400,000, , additional $700,000 in sales made after opening. first night audience packed important broadway, business, , arts leaders. audience repeatedly stopped show extended applause, sustained @ length @ final curtain. rodgers , hammerstein had preferred, in past, not sponsor afterparty, rented st. regis hotel s roof , ordered 200 copies of new york times in anticipation of hit. times critic brooks atkinson gave show rave review.

three days after opening, pinza signed contract mgm star in films once obligation appear in show expired. left show june 1, 1950, replaced ray middleton, though pinza missed number of shows due illness before that. martin recalled that, unused performing 8 shows week, former opera star sing full out in week, leaving himself little voice towards end, , have understudy go on. nevertheless, during year in show, , although aged 58, acclaimed sex symbol; george jean nathan wrote pinza has taken place of hot springs, saratoga, , hormone injections other old boys .

a national tour began in cleveland, ohio, in april 1950; ran 5 years , starred richard eastham emile, janet blair nellie , ray walston billis, role walston reprise in london , in 1958 film. 48,000 tickets available in cleveland, 250,000 requests submitted, causing box office close 3 weeks process them. jeanne bal , iva withers later nellies on tour. scaled-down version toured military bases in korea in 1951; request of hammerstein , rodgers, officers , enlisted soldiers sat view it.

martin left broadway production in 1951 appear in original london west end production; martha wright replaced her. despite departure of both original stars, show remained huge attraction in new york. cloris leachman played nellie during new york run; george britton among later emiles. london production ran november 1, 1951 802 performances @ theatre royal, drury lane. logan directed; martin , wilbur evans starred, walston billis, muriel smith bloody mary , ivor emmanuel in small role of sgt. johnson. sean connery , martin s son larry hagman, both @ start of careers, played seabees in london production; julie wilson replaced martin. on january 31, 1952, king george vi attended production daughter princess elizabeth , other members of royal family. died less week later.

the broadway production transferred broadway theatre in june 1953 accommodate rodgers , hammerstein s new show, me , juliet, although south pacific had moved boston 5 weeks because of schedule conflicts. when closed on january 16, 1954, after 1,925 performances, second-longest-running musical in broadway history, after oklahoma!. @ final performance, myron mccormick, cast member remaining opening, led performers , audience in auld lang syne ; curtain did not fall remained raised audience left theatre.

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