One Man's Opinion Season 4 Ep. 8: South Pacific at Goodspeed Musicals

[@mgauerbach]

Spot on!

[@RachelsReviews]

Great review. I like the classic shows too

[@BroadwayGuy]

I have always been a fan of R & H, and never felt any need to apologize for it. "SOUTH PACIFIC" was my introduction to musical theatre. I was instantly aware that music, song, and dance could be used to tell important, dramatic stories. The genius here is that the All-American characters Nellie and Cable, feeling a bit superior to the "island people" and more than a bit out of place on the South Pacific islands, are forced to confront their own ingrained prejudices. Nellie and Cable are racists, but they don't realize it (because prejudices are carefully taught from year to year) until they are forced to look deep inside themselves. R & H were asking audiences to do the same. While characters and situations in "OKLAHOMA!" and "CAROUSEL" are indeed problematic today, Anna in "THE KING AND I" and Maria in "THE SOUND OF MUSIC" are bold, extremely strong women. And Nellie, the hick racist from Arkansas in "SOUTH PACIFIC" has the most dramatic character arch in the R & H cannon. Cable is disgusted by his ingrained prejudices, but is killed and therefore denied redemption. We may not like Nellie at the end of Act I, but by the final curtain of Act II, Nellie knows that her carefully taught prejudices are wrong, and has found the courage to move and live her life beyond them. Remember, "SOUTH PACIFIC" premiered in 1949, and the story is set in 1942. By 2024, we all "know that prejudices are wrong." Oh, do we?? How many of us have the courage of Nellie to move and live beyond our carefully taught prejudices in 2024?

[@BroadwayGuy]

You mention: What would happen if an African-American actor were cast as Jud Fry, the nominal "villain" in "OKLAHOMA!"? Several years ago, 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle, WA. did exactly that! Controversy followed. Nearly every critic began their review columns with: Jud is played by an African-American actor and Curly & Laurey were played by white actors, as if trying to stir something up. I refrained from that: merely commenting on the production itself and the performances. As I mentioned, the production was controversial. The production itself was so-so. The performances were mixed; not surprising, given some odd stylistic framework and bizarre directorial choices; not related to any actors' race or background. I wrote that they had transformed "OKLAHOMA!" into "Theatre of the Absurd."

[@njatty]

The US armed forces were segregated until 1948. Did this production include "My Girl Back Home," as the recent Lincoln Center revival did? Now that would have been awkward!

[@onemansopinion8135]

Yes. Yes it did have My Girl Back Home.