SOUTH PACIFIC by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, directed by Bartlett Sher (Dancap). At the Four Seasons Centre (145 Queen West). To September 5. $28-$200. 416-644-3665. See Listing. Rating: NNNN
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 1949 musical South Pacific moves a little too leisurely by today’s standards, but Bartlett Sher’s Lincoln Center Theater revival makes a solid case for it as a great American musical.
Certainly, its look at racism – particularly the song You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught – still has lots of bite. Mel Gibson should have a listen.
Based on episodes from James A. Michener’s Tales Of The South Pacific, the show interweaves the stories of two Americans whose lives are radically altered when they’re stationed on a naval base during the Second World War. Ensign Nellie Forbush (Carmen Cusack) has taken up with mysterious French plantation owner Emile de Becque (Jason Howard), while Lt. Joseph Cable (Anderson Davis) is smitten with a Tonkinese girl named Liat (Sumie Maeda).
Rounding out the show are two fascinating characters given lots of stage time: enterprising naval huckster Luther Billis (Matthew Saldivar, who almost upstages everyone) and the raunchy earth mother of the is lands, Bloody Mary (Jodi Kimura), who’s also the proud mama of Liat.
Director Sher takes the material ser iously. Even a seemingly lightweight song like the sailors’ ode to horniness, There Is Nothin’ Like A Dame, is filled with contemporary innuendo – not to mention a bit of class consciousness. And when Cusack sings Nellie’s A Wonderful Guy, the lyrics emerge naturally from her country-bred character.
Some of Hammerstein and Joshua Logan’s book drags, and the characters aren’t the most carefully delin eated. No, Nellie doesn’t know much about the older Emile, but what exactly does Emile know about her? And Cable’s attraction to Liat still has a nasty whiff of sexual tourism about it.
But there are many things to enjoy here, including a fine 26-member orchestra who bring out all the richness of the score. And there’s not a weak link in the cast. Howard delivers the best rendition of This Nearly Was Mine I’ve yet heard, and even makes you forget how often you’ve heard Some Enchanted Evening.
glenns@nowtoronto.com
