SOUTH PACIFIC Casting Questions

I did a search and couldn't find an answer, so here goes: I just got home from the matinee of SOUTH PACIFIC and David Pittsinger and Laura Osnes were on. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised at how well Laura Osnes sang and acted the role of Nellie, and as much as I adore Paulo Szot, it was refreshing to hear Mr. Pittsinger's take on Emile's songs: he has a deeper and extremely resonant tone that is closer to Ezio Pinza's sound than Mr. Szot's.

Anyway, there were some folks I missed today, particularly Charlie Brady. He's my favorite seabee and he wasn't there. Is he still in the show?

And is Mr. Szot done with SP or is he scheduled to return? Thanks in advance!

Paulo is on vacation for two weeks per Laura but I don't know when that started.

Per the Lincoln Center website, Szot will be returning to South Pacific on July 14.

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Did I read somewhere...maybe on her baby announcement that was posted, that Kelli O'Hara was coming back to South Pacific in October or something like that?

Kelli comes back the first Tuesday in October.

Eris, I completely agree! I too thought there was something affected about this Cable's speaking voice. It sounded as if the actor was working too hard to sound "masculine," by trying to speak in lower tones. The speaking voice was so unnatural sounding to me... The singing was OK. I still wish LCT would cast a young tenor to sing the role because after hearing Emile sing, it's a bit of a letdown to hear YOUNGER THAN SPRINGTIME sung without the resonance of a legit tenor's voice. I had the same issue with Matt Morrison's singing. (Though Morrison's speaking voice was fine to me).

But to those doubting Laura Osnes, she's wonderful. And I am by no means a fan of GREASE nor did I ever watch that TV show with which she was associated. SP is my first exposure to Laura Osnes, and it was a delight to see her and Pittsinger together. Osnes is just as good as a singer as O'Hara in this role, and I would even go so far as to say that Pittsinger is a better singer than Szot.

Have you ever heard someone other than Szot sing the role of Emile DeBecque?

I plan to see it again with Paulo too. I'd already seen him and O'Hara several times in the past. I hope to see O'Hara if/when she returns to the show. (The reason why I had a July 5th ticket was that was the original last date for O'Hara but she got pregnant, and the rest, as they say, is history.) I'd love to be there for Szot's final performance as well.

The show itself is so gorgeous and moving that other than my issues with the current Cable, I too continue to be moved to tears by the experience.