south pacific

Many months ago, I decided I wanted to see SOUTH PACIFIC for my birthday. So, I picked up my tickets, and have been waiting for months to see the show. I watched them win the Tonys, and was giddy with excitement that the day finally arrived. A friend and I took in dinner at this fantastic Turkish restaurant, and then wandered to the theatre. Truth be told, I was never a huge fan of the show. My only point of reference have been the movies that have been made, never having seen the stage show.

The live production of the show was amazing. Some of the music in the show, although beautiful, can sometimes be a little hokey; however, in this production, the songs were so gorgeous, and made so much sense. The joy and simplicity of the music was stunning, and you couldn't help but be drawn into the story. A big part of this was the incredible casting of the show. Kelli O'Hara was born to play this part. She captures the youth and awkwardness of first love, but also is devastating when she is so racist she can't be with a man who was with a woman of color. Paolo Szot has such a gorgeous voice, and his chemistry with O'Hara is lovely. The two of them together are lovely.

This show, although a period piece, is dealing with things that are still timely. With themes about war, racism, and the disturbing idea of a mother essentially prostituting out her daughter in the hopes of her marrying an American soldier, it is difficult to imagine that these are still viable discussion pieces today.

The staging and lighting of the show are phenomenal. The acting is brilliant, and the 30-piece orchestra is so beautiful, I can only imagine what is was like to attend shows that always have a 30-piece orchestra.

My only disappointment about the evening is that Matthew Morrison was out. He is such a great performer (I saw him in THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA and HAIRSPRAY), and I was looking forward to him doing a different part. His understudy did a great job, but I still would have loved to have seen him do the part.

Final thoughts: A lovely production that I enjoyed to no end. It worked on so many levels, and other than the cell phone that rang through the end of the show, and the absence of Morrison, a perfect night at the theatre.

photo credit: www.playbill.com