review - SOUTH PACIFIC - Arizona Broadway Theatre

Sean David Cooper and Kate Marshall
Photo by Scott Samplin

highlights from local critics reviews - (click link at bottom of each review to read complete review)

Click here for more information on this production that runs through December 30th.

"...Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II have created many classic musicals filled with well-known tunes and memorable characters.. also wisely incorporated social issues into most of their shows, and in the groundbreaking 1949 musical South Pacific, which I consider to be their best work, they tackle such topics as prejudice and the politics of war in a direct and powerful way. Arizona Broadway Theatre's production of this beloved show is infused with passion, beauty, and a cast who excel in delivering the many showstopping moments with ease but also don't skirt or downplay the social issues at the show's core...ABT's cast is simply sublime without a single weak link. Sean David Cooper and Kate Marshall elicit a palpable amount of smoldering heat in their portrayals of the main couple Emile and Nellie. ...Both have beautiful singing voices, with Cooper's rich, clear voice delivering a romantic and lush "Some Enchanted Evening" and a passionate "This Nearly Was Mine." ...Marshall... provides a bright and a warm singing voice to her many songs...There are also rich and layered supporting characters, including the boisterous and animated Bloody Mary (Eleonore S. Thomas) who is desperately trying to find a U.S. military man to give her daughter Liat (the quiet and demure Chun Ying Chang) a better life. Mary believes the handsome Lieutenant Joseph Cable (Jay McGill) is the perfect man for her daughter. ...Thomas is excellent in providing charm along with an assured sense of cunningness to this larger than life and vibrant woman with a powerful singing voice that delivers. McGill is very good as the Lieutenant...His soaring voice achieves beautiful notes on the dreamy "Younger than Springtime" and the piercing "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught."...Andy Meyers' direction not only helps the cast balance the comedic and dramatic elements of their characters, which creates memorable characters in the process, but he also isn't too heavy handed in his direction, letting the words, lyrics, and actions of the characters guide us through the ups and downs of the various relationships in the show as well as the racial prejudices of the piece. ...James May's musical direction is superb. He not only elicits a beautiful full sound from the small orchestra, and there is a lot of musical underscore in this show, but also some rousing melodies from the large cast. With a score that comprises one showstopping song after another, South Pacific isn't just a memorable musical but a show that effectively explores the issues of race and interracial relationships during World War II. Arizona Broadway Theatre's production of this classic musical is beautiful and moving. It's just unfortunate that a show that premiered almost 70 years ago includes a social issue of hatred and confusion that is still relevant today." -Gil Benbrook, Talkin' Broadway (click here to read the complete review)