South Pacific

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Musical dates
Title: South Pacific
Original title: South Pacific
Original language: English
Music: Richard Rodgers
Book: Oscar Hammerstein II & Joshua Logan
Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II
Literary source: James A. Michener : Tales of the South Pacific
Premiere: April 7, 1949
Place of premiere: Majestic Theater in New York City

South Pacific is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II . The book wrote Hammerstein with Joshua Logan . It is based on two short stories by James A. Michener in his book "Tales of the South Pacific" , the 1948 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction ( Pulitzer Prize for Fiction ) and 1950 the Pulitzer Prize for Theater ( Pulitzer Prize for Drama ) won . The issue of the race problem is presented very sensitively for the time shortly after the Second World War. James Michener alleged that he was forced to ask the writers Rodgers and Hammerstein to remove the song "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught" because it made too much of racial prejudice an issue .

South Pacific is regarded as one of the most successful musicals of all time, but not in the German-speaking area, where it never caught on and is still almost unknown today. A whole series of songs like "Bali Ha'i" , "Younger than Springtime" and "Some Enchanted Evening" have become world famous. South Pacific was nominated for nine Tony Awards in 1950 and won all of them. It is the only musical to have won all four musical acting awards.

With South Pacific , Rodgers and Hammerstein reached a new high of success, both artistically and financially, after Oklahoma! and Carousel had been extremely popular. Even at the premiere, nobody doubted that South Pacific would be on the same level as the two successful predecessors.

Theater productions

The musical premiered on Broadway on April 7, 1949 at the Majestic Theater and moved to the Broadway Theater in June 1953 . Produced by Rodgers and Hammerstein - in collaboration with Leland Hayward - the performance was directed by Joshua Logan. In over five years, South Pacific has performed 1,925 times, making it fifth in the list of Broadway's longest-running musicals. The original cast consisted of Mary Martin in the role of the heroic Nellie Forbush, opera star Ezio Pinza as Emile de Becque, the French plantation owner, alongside Juanita Hall, Myron McCormick, Betta St. John, and William Tabbert.

To mark Richard Rodgers' centenary in 2002, the Majestic Theater hosted a revival of South Pacific under the direction of Trevor Nunn.

On June 9, 2005, a concert version of the musical was performed live in Carnegie Hall , which was shortened to two hours, but contained all the songs and all the musical material. It played Reba McEntire as Nellie Forbush, Brian Stokes Mitchell as Emile, Alec Baldwin as Luther Billis, and Lillias White as Bloody Mary. This production used Robert Russell Bennett's original orchestration. It was taped and broadcast on PBS on April 26, 2006 .

The world premiere with texts in German (original vocals) took place in Hildesheim in 1999 , after which there has only been one production in Germany in 2009 in Kassel .

action

On an island in the southern Pacific , the nurse Nellie Forbush - in the rank of lieutenant - falls in love with the French plantation owner Emile de Becque, who is already old, during the Second World War. Meanwhile, the restless seafarers, led by the bustling Luther Billis, lament the absence of women and fighting that would free them from the oppressive boredom. Lieutenant Joe Cable of the US Marine Corps arrives on the island to take part in a dangerous espionage operation that could turn the fight against the Japanese. Billis convinces Lieutenant Cable to take him to the mysterious island of Bali Ha'i because only he can commandeer boats as an officer. There, "Bloody Mary", a native souvenir dealer, introduces Cable to her daughter Liat with the intention of a matchmaker and they both fall in love.

However, both couples get into trouble because of ethnic bias. Nellie first agrees to marry Emile. However, when she learns that he was married to a Polynesian woman and has two mixed race children, Nellie again distanced herself because of her racial prejudices. At the same time, Cable refuses to marry Liat - also because of her race, since it is unthinkable for an American officer to marry a local. Although Nellie and Cable are aware of the bigotry of their attitudes and are ashamed of them, they feel they have no other choice because of social pressures.

Dejected and with the feeling that there is nothing left to lose, Emile accompanies Cable on his dangerous mission, which is successful as far as they can transmit messages about hostile actions to the base. Cable is killed during the mission, which Emile reports over the radio, then the contact breaks off and he is also considered dead. Operation Alligator starts and the seamen who used to sit idle, including their spokesman Luther Billis, are sent into battle. Nellie - believing that Emile is dead - overcomes her racial dislikes and takes care of the children. Then Emile surprisingly returns alive and so Nellie, Emile and the children become a happy family.

Songs

  • Overture - orchestra
  • 1st act
    • "Dites Moi" (Tell Me Why) - Emile's two children and an island choir
    • "A Cockeyed Optimist" - Nellie
    • "Twin Soliloquies" - Nellie and Emile
    • "Some Enchanted Evening" - Emile
    • "Dites Moi" (reprise) - Emile and his two children
    • "Bloody Mary" - male choir
    • “There Is Nothing Like a Dame” - male choir
    • "Bali Ha'i" - Bloody Mary
    • “I'm Gonna Wash that Man Right Outa My Hair” - Nellie and women's choir
    • "Some Enchanted Evening" (reprise) - Emile and Nellie
    • “A Wonderful Guy” - Nellie and women's choir
    • "Younger than Springtime" - Cable
    • “Bali Ha'i” (reprise) - choirs
    • "A Cockeyed Optimist" (reprise) - Emile and Nellie
    • "Twin Soliloquies" (reprise) - Nellie and Emile
    • "A Wonderful Guy" (reprise) - Nellie and Emile
    • Finale: Act I (Some Enchanted Evening) - Emile
  • Between act music - orchestra
  • 2nd act
    • "Happy Talk" - Bloody Mary
    • "Honey Bun" - Nellie
    • "Younger than Springtime" (reprise) - Cable
    • "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught" - Cable
    • "This Nearly Was Mine" - Emile
    • "Some Enchanted Evening" (reprise) - Nellie
    • "Finale" - Nellie, Emile, and his children

Film and TV versions

South Pacific was also directed by Joshua Logan in 1958 and received an Oscar nomination for Best Score .

In 2001 there was a television production with Glenn Close and Harry Connick Jr. in the lead roles. The film was partially criticized because well-known songs like "Happy Talk" and "Bali Hai" were shortened considerably and the order of the songs was changed and because the voice of Rade Šerbedžija in the role of Emile could not be compared with those who had previously played this one Had sung role.

supporting documents

  1. ^ The World Almanac and Book of Facts , 1966, page 137

literature

Web links