South Pacific, Thurs. Evening - 3/27
South Pacific, Thurs. Evening - 3/27
#1South Pacific, Thurs. Evening - 3/27
Posted: 3/28/08 at 4:23pm
Well, LCT has produced yet another must see show of the season. South Pacific is not necessarily an important musical to my personal taste, but South Pacific was the first show my farther ever saw at the age of six in 1950. Of course, I grew up hearing about the chemistry between Mary Martin and Enzio Pinza. But, it didn’t end there, anytime I would mention the movie of The Sound of Music and how much I like Julie Andrews my dad would basically go on a rampage and describe how nobody could compare to Mary Martin because of the special connection she had with the audience. Although the performances last night were not quite as special as the ones my dad saw 58 years ago, the overall production was pretty outstanding.
Bartlet Sher has created a masterful reproduction of World War II South Pacific and some of the most interesting insights throughout the production are the choices in casting of the company. Keeping the “colored” soldiers separate from the “white” ones maintain a tension not only in numbers and book scenes involving the men, but in numbers where they are merely in the background. The musical staging of the big numbers such as “Bloody Mary,” “There is Nothing Like a Dame,” and “Honey Bun” are filled with subtleties and nuances. In the role of Luther Billis, Danny Burnstein leads the male ensemble with great energy and comedic skill. His reading and facial expressions during the radio shack scene in Act II are priceless.
As the Tonkinese Bloody Mary, who is a friend to all the Seabees and Sailors, Loretta Ables Sayre is just wonderful. She is able to make all the people familiar with Juanita Hall’s Tony award winning performance become swept away once more with the haunting “Bali Ha'i.” Sayre has a naturally soulful voice and is very commanding especially during the somewhat frightful scene when Cable meets her daughter Liat and “Happy Talk.” If this wasn’t the year for Laura Benanti’s Tony, I would say that Loretta Ables Sayre would have a good chance of winning one.
I wish I could say that the three main actors I haven’t mentioned yet were all able to blow me away, but two out of three aint bad right? Kelli O’Hara has a lot going for her. She has a voice like angel (and still possess a pretty strong belt), makes very strong choices as an actress and is capable of shinning in very challenging choreography. Unfortunately, I would have to say that only half of her performance really worked for me last night. In my mind, Mary Martin was just perfect for this role because of her jubilant tomboyish quality. Although it is important for musical performers to act a song rather than just singing it, it seems like Kelli O’Hara hasn’t really found a way to “sell” some of her songs yet. Her “Cockeyed Optimist” is understated and her singing in “I’m Gonna Wash…” was just flat. It is still previews, so maybe some of this will change, but I doubt it. I think she might be following Michener’s book a little deeper because in “Tales of the South Pacific” Nellie does come from an unpleasant relationship before meeting Emile, but choosing to be a little more understated before ‘Wonderful Guy” just acts a disservice to her overall performance. On the other hand, her interpretation of “Wonderful Guy” and the book scenes for the rest of the act is just amazing. What is so surprising about her rendition of Wonderful Guy” is that she is sitting down for most of it. Yet, she is still able to be heartfelt while brimming with a lovable energy that seemed to be missing from the first half of Act I (the number also includes two cartwheels which really show off her movement). Although her “Honey Bun” is fine, it is only when she is not singing that the number really takes off. Her book scenes in the second half of Act II are perfectly serviceable. As for her chemistry with Paulo Szot, it is yet again another smoldering pair that O’Hara finds herself in.
The two standouts of the evening were Mathew Morrison as Lt. Joseph Cable and Paulo Szot as the French plantation owner, Emile De Beque. Morrison is a commanding and yes, sexy, presence from the onset, and his brooding temper is kept very controlled throughout the play. I was especially delighted by his 1st Act showstopper (in my opinion) “Younger Than Springtime” where he not only sings beautifully and passionately, but as he sings he reveals many layers of a somewhat traumatized soldier and Princeton man from Philadelphia, falling for this Tonkinese girl. The staging of the most important song in the show, “You've Got To Be Carefully Taught,” is riveting with almost half of it being sung towards the segregated Seabees and sailors in the background (Morrison is in great form during this song as well, though you could tell he was still recovering from whatever had kept him out for the last few days). I hope he gets a well deserved nomination.
Paulo Szot brings a stirring operatic voice to the Beaumont, that somewhat channels Pinza, but more importantly is filled with passion. Both he and Kelli O’Hara do wonders with the first scene in which they share a glass of cognac and he continues to do so with “Some Enchanted Evening.” His performance is funny, charismatic, loveable and ultimately very moving. Although certain numbers such as “You've Got To Be Carefully Taught,” Younger Than Springtime” and “Wonderful Guy” were performed exceptionally and given thorough interpretations, the true showstopper of the night (the whole audience’s opinion) was “This Nearly Was Mine.” Szot tackled this hellavuh song by using many parts and levels of the stage and many different shades of his naturally strong voice that really touched my heart.
Thanks Lincoln Center Theater for another wonderful production!
Updated On: 3/31/08 at 04:23 PM
#2re: South Pacific, Fri Evening - 3/27
Posted: 3/28/08 at 4:24pm
her singing in “I’m Gonna Wash…” was just flat.
- Flat in pitch?? Or in interpretation?
#2re: South Pacific, Fri Evening - 3/27
Posted: 3/28/08 at 4:27pmOops, in interpretation and charisma.
#3re: South Pacific, Fri Evening - 3/27
Posted: 3/28/08 at 4:37pm
Another nice review, jewishboy.
I will be skipping this one (not a fan of O'Hara at all) but it's nice to see that the first Broadway revival of this show is top-notch. I hope it is Lincoln Center that does the A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC revival and not Roundabout.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
#4re: South Pacific, Fri Evening - 3/27
Posted: 3/28/08 at 4:41pmGreat review!! I am glad you enjoyed the show and I am happy you loved Matt ! Early reviews were controversial about him, as portraying Cable too agressive and had me worried because I am in awe of his talent ! But it looks like he found the balance I was sure he would and gives another great performance ! can't wait for April 18 !!
#5re: South Pacific, Fri Evening - 3/27
Posted: 3/28/08 at 4:55pmThanks for your review!
"Everytime you step on that stage it is somebody's first Broadway show and somebody's last Broadway show. Make it count."
#6re: South Pacific, Fri Evening - 3/27
Posted: 3/28/08 at 5:22pm
Oops, in interpretation and charisma.
- Oh okay! I was going to say, I find it hard to believe Kelli was singing flat.
#7re: South Pacific, Fri Evening - 3/27
Posted: 3/28/08 at 5:28pm
Great review! Glad you enjoyed the show. It seems like most people who have seen the show find Ms. O'Hara lacking. That's a shame. Haven't seen it yet, but hope to later this Spring.
P.S.- 3/27 was THURS. right?
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