Original production South Pacific (musical)

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.