Set on a tropical island in the Pacific during World War II, a U.S. Navy nurse falls in love with a local plantation owner. This classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, the winner of seven 2008 Tony Awards, features one of the most romantic scores of all time.
This epic musical romance centers on a group of American sailors and Navy nurses stationed in the South Pacific during World War II. Arkansas native Nellie Forbush befriends and quickly falls for Emile de Becque, a French expatriate and plantation owner, and Lt. Joe Cable finds himself in a passionate affair with Liat, the young daughter of Bloody Mary, the local grass-skirt peddler. As the war against Japan escalates, reality sets in for both Forbush and Cable, who struggle to reconcile their unconventional love affairs with their long-held prejudices and insecurities.
"Love blossoms fast and early in [Bartlett Sher's] rapturous revival...Brooks Atkinson described the show as a tenderly beautiful idyll of genuine people inexplicably tossed together in a strange corner of the world.' I think a lot of us had forgotten that's what South Pacific is really about. In making the past feel unconditionally present, this production restores a glorious gallery of genuine people who were only waiting to be resurrected."
The New York Times
Ben Brantley
"Extraordinary! Impeccably acted and designed. Bartlett Sher's meticulous and dramatic direction is also extraordinary. The show is filled with fantastic and familiar songs that sound fresh and exciting."
New York Daily News
Joe Dziemianowicz
"Heartfelt and spectacular. Grand entertainment! Director Bartlett Sher has masterminded a big, luscious, witty production."
Newsday
Linda Winer
"****! Spine-tingling! It soars! Director Bartlett Sher and a gifted, great-looking cast fully engage the romantic sweep of Rodgers & Hammerstein's ravishing score."
USA Today
Elysa Gardner
"An outstanding achievement! From the seductive swell of a 30-piece orchestra playing the glorious overture through the poignant final tableau of love and reconciliation, this is ravishing theater. The level of artistry and inventive stagecraft on display is breathtaking."
Variety
David Rooney