"Some Enchanted Evening" is a song from the 1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific. It is often called "the single biggest popular hit from any Rodgers and Hammerstein show." Andrew Lloyd Webber has called it "the greatest song ever written for a musical."

The song is a three-part solo performed by the main male character, Emile. In it, he describes seeing a stranger for the first time, knowing he will see her again. He then imagines hearing her laugh and feeling her call his name. He sings that when someone finds their "true love," they must "fly to her side and make her your own, / Or all through your life you may dream all alone." The song is described as "a wonderful summary of love at first sight [but also] a message for older people who have experienced love and know its challenges."

InSouth Pacific

The song is part of the first act of the musical. It is performed as a solo by Emile de Becque, the male lead. Emile is a middle-aged French person living abroad who owns a plantation on a South Pacific island during World War II. He falls in love with Ensign Nellie Forbush, a young American navy nurse from Little Rock, Arkansas. Nellie is hopeful and not very experienced. Emile and Nellie have only known each other for a few weeks, and both worry the other may not return their feelings. In the song, Emile shares his love for Nellie, describing how they met at a dance and felt an immediate connection. He talks about how a person might see someone new and know they will want to see them again, remembering their laughter and dreaming about them. He says that when someone finds their "true love," they must go to that person and make them their own, or else they will spend their life dreaming alone. Later, Emile asks Nellie to marry him. The song is sung again later by Nellie and/or Emile as their relationship faces challenges and is resolved.

In the original Broadway production, "Some Enchanted Evening" was performed by Ezio Pinza, a former opera singer. Pinza won the Tony Award for Best Actor in 1950 for this role, and the song became popular with audiences who usually did not attend opera. In the 2001 London revival, Philip Quast won an Olivier Award for playing Emile. Seven years later, Paulo Szot, an international opera singer, won a Tony Award for performing the role in the 2008 New York revival.

In the film version of South Pacific, the first and second scenes of the play are swapped. Because of this change, Emile appears later in the film, and "Some Enchanted Evening" is not heard until about 45 minutes into the movie, while in the original stage version it is heard about 15 minutes after Act I begins. In the film, the song is sung by Giorgio Tozzi, a Metropolitan Opera bass who provided the singing voice for actor Rossano Brazzi. Tozzi's version of the song ranked No. 28 on the 2004 American Film Institute list, AFI's 100 Years…100 Songs, which named the top 100 songs in American cinema.

Analysis

According to Popular Music in America, the song's "rich musical arrangement, long and detailed structure, and especially its beautiful melody" help the singer and character (Emile) "stay in the moment" of sudden romantic feelings. Gerald Mast's book about the American musical explains that the song is a key moment in the story, showing that two characters have fallen in love. It includes lyrics that encourage taking action: "When you find your true love … Then fly to her side / And make her your own." The running commentary on the 2006 Fox DVD release of the 1958 film version of South Pacific mentions that Lehman Engel recalled Oscar Hammerstein II wanted to write a song centered around verbs. He waited ten years before creating this song, where the verses use the verbs "see," "hear," and "fly."

Selected recorded versions

Many popular singers have recorded and performed "Some Enchanted Evening." Perry Como's version was a number 1 hit in 1949, and Frank Sinatra recorded the song several times.

• Ezio Pinza (recorded April 18, 1949, Original Broadway cast recording of South Pacific). His single version reached number 7 on the Billboard charts in 1949.
• Perry Como (1949). His single reached number 1 on the Billboard charts in 1949.
• Frank Sinatra (1949), (1963, including a duet with Rosemary Clooney), (1967). The 1949 version reached number 6 on the Billboard charts.
• Bing Crosby (1949), recorded March 10, 1949, and reached number 3 on the Billboard charts during a 20-week stay.
• Jo Stafford – Autumn in New York (1950). Her single version reached number 4 on the Billboard charts in 1949.
• Jay & The Americans (1965). The group's single version reached number 13 on the Hot 100, Billboard charts in 1965.
• Jane Olivor had a 1977 single release (number 91 on the Billboard Hot 100; the track was taken from her 1976 debut album First Night).
• Bob Dylan (from his number 1 2015 album Shadows in the Night).
• Philip Quast for the 2002 London revival cast recording of South Pacific; he won the Olivier Award as Emile in that production.
• Paulo Szot – South Pacific (The New Broadway Cast) (2008); he won the Tony Award as Emile in that production.

In popular culture

The song's title has been used as the name for several albums, including one by Blue Öyster Cult, one by Art Garfunkel, a cast album, and a PBS special of the revue "Some Enchanted Evening" – The Songs of Rodgers & Hammerstein. It has also been used as the name for television episodes in shows such as The Simpsons, Last of the Summer Wine, Man About the House, and Bless This House.

The song has been performed in films and on television shows. For example, Harrison Ford sang it in the 1978 reissue of the film American Graffiti. Alan Alda's character, Hawkeye, sang it in season 4, episode 18 of MASH, titled "Hawkeye." A traveling singer performed it in the film Crossing Delancey (1988). Jon Bon Jovi sang it in the Ally McBeal episode "Homecoming" (2002). Bert sang it in episode 102 of The Muppet Show (1977) to Connie Stevens. In April 2023, the song was part of the BBC Radio 4 series Soul Music.