Live from the Lincoln Center Discussion Thread — Page 10

I was discussing the production with a friend yesterday and we were both marveling at what a lovely and powerful moment the Honey Bun reprise is. Other than a community production when I was very young, the current revival is the only production of South Pacific that I've seen so I was wondering if anybody knows if this is the way the Honey Bun reprise is normally staged or if this was an original idea?

---

For you MST3K fans:

Doesn't Samonsky remind you of Richard Kiel in HUMAN DUPLICATORS?

---

I was discussing the production with a friend yesterday and we were both marveling at what a lovely and powerful moment the Honey Bun reprise is.

That part always gets to me. I mentioned earlier that the uncertainty of it is what gets me. We're watching characters we learned to care for over the course of the show march off to war. We know Nellie and Emile get their happily ever after but what about the others?

Doesn't Samonsky remind you of Richard Kiel in HUMAN DUPLICATORS?

I don't see the resemblance between Andrew and Jaws from James Bond

---

They showed the second half of the Entr'Acte. Alan Alda was gabbing through the first part of it and you could hear it in the background. They didn't switch to the orchestra until after the moment when they all stand up for "Gonna Wash That Man".

---

Several days later and I'm still impressed with how good this production was from the acting, singing, staging, to direction.

I truly regret not seeing it at Lincoln Center. I assumed it was a decent production, but thought it would be similar to the Mitzi Gaynor movie, which didn't cut it for me, or amateur productions which didn't wow me either.

This production was special though, and everything just clicked. Loretta Ables Sayre was a definitive Bloody Mary. I've seen productions where the character was almost played as a joke, but Sayre brought a perfect underlying intensity and desperation to the role. I used to hate Happy Talk, but now, at last, I see the point of it.

I hope this comes out on video, I think I need to have it.

I remember the last line (Emile to Nellie) from the licensed version as "Mange, Nellie. Mange maintenant." The second part of that line seems to be gone now. I wonder why.

Updated On: 8/20/10 at 01:27 PM

I have the original script and there's no "Honey Bun" reprise. The final line "Move out" is said and the soldiers go off with the nurses waving. Also, my script has no "Mangez, Nellie." Perhaps both were added to the licensed version some time since.

---

Danny Burstein reminded me a bit of Bert Lahr (Note to some of the youth on the board, that would be the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz and a popular Broadway performer in his time).

Mr. Somonsky reminded me of a cross between Greg Edelman's Prince in the Into the Woods revival and Jeff Goldblum (in anything he is in), especially when he was talking about his Mom. A bit nebbishy, a bit wooden. But I thought he didn't totally suck. Far from it. Man, if he read the negative things people were saying about him on these boards................buy. that. man. a. drink.

The finale reminded me greatly of productions of Cabaret I've seen where the cast does a reprise of Wilkommen slowly and in slow motion movement and funeral marchesque under low lighting. Always exactly.

Considering I am not a huge fan of the show.......it was still a good representation.

Tsao5, I was wondering if I was the only one who was reminded of Bert Lahr! I think Danny would be a great cowardly lion. I thought he was wonderful as Billis. A very loveable and sweet portrayal of the character.

---

Yes, Cable's speech patterns were somewhat like Eric the Viking but Eric is a dead Viking who is a little long in the tooth. Cable is suppose to be a young man from Philadelphia. I still go with Pat from SNL. He was better on the telecast.

Do you think they'll release it on dvd? Did they ever release Light in the Piazza when PBS did that?

---

And surprisingly enough nobody has posted it on the web. Anywhere.

---