"South Pacific" is a musical written by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a story by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan. The musical first opened on Broadway in 1949 and became very popular right away, performing for 1,925 shows. The story is based on James A. Michener's Pulitzer Prize-winning book "Tales of the South Pacific" from 1947. Rodgers and Hammerstein believed they could create a musical from Michener's work that would be both financially successful and share a message about ending racism.
The story follows an American nurse working on a South Pacific island during World War II. She falls in love with an older French man who owns a plantation but struggles to accept his children, who have mixed racial backgrounds. Another part of the story follows a U.S. Marine lieutenant who is in love with a young woman from Tonkin. He worries about the problems that might arise if they marry. The musical openly discusses racial prejudice, especially in the lieutenant's song, "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught." Other characters, such as a funny petty officer and the Tonkinese girl's mother, help connect the different parts of the story. Hammerstein had trouble writing the military parts because he lacked experience, so the director, Joshua Logan, helped him and was credited as a co-writer.
The original Broadway production was very successful, both with critics and audiences. It was the second-longest-running Broadway musical at the time, after "Oklahoma!" (1943). After hiring Ezio Pinza and Mary Martin as the main actors, Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote songs that matched their talents. The musical won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1950. In the Southern United States, its focus on race caused some controversy, but the creators did not apologize. Many songs, such as "Bali Ha'i," "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair," and "Some Enchanted Evening," became well-known.
The musical won ten Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Libretto. It is the only musical to win Tony Awards in all four acting categories. The original cast recording was the best-selling record of the 1940s, and other recordings of the show have also been popular. The musical has had many successful revivals and tours, leading to a 1958 film and television versions. The 2008 Broadway revival was widely praised and ran for 996 performances, winning seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical Revival.
Background
James Michener, who was a book editor and university teacher, could have avoided military service in World War II because he was born into the Quaker religion, which allowed people to avoid fighting. However, he joined the U.S. Navy in October 1942. He was not sent to the South Pacific until April 1944, when he was assigned to write a history of the Navy in the Pacific and was allowed to travel widely. He survived a plane crash in New Caledonia; this near-death experience inspired him to write fiction, and he began listening to the stories told by soldiers. One journey took him to the Treasury Islands, where he discovered a village called Bali-ha'i, which had "scrawny residents and only one pig." He was struck by the name and wrote it down. He then began recording his version of the tales on a battered typewriter. On a plantation on the island of Espiritu Santo, he met a woman named Bloody Mary. She was small, almost toothless, and her face was stained with red betel juice. She used strong language learned from American soldiers and complained endlessly about the French colonial government, which refused to allow her and other Tonkinese people to return to their native Vietnam, fearing that plantations would be abandoned. She also told Michener about her plans to oppose colonialism in French Indochina. These stories, collected into Tales of the South Pacific, won Michener the 1948 Pulitzer Prize for fiction.
Tales of the South Pacific includes nineteen stories. Each story can be read on its own but connects to the preparation for an American military operation to remove the Japanese from a nearby island. This operation, called "Alligator," happens in the penultimate story, "The Landing at Kuralei." Many characters die in that battle, and the final story is titled "A Cemetery at Huga Point." The stories are linked by themes. For example, the first and last stories are reflective, the second and eighteenth involve battle, the third and seventeenth involve preparing for battle, and so on. The tenth story, "Fo' Dolla'," stands alone. This story was one of only four that Michener later said he held in high regard. It attracted the attention of Rodgers and Hammerstein, who saw its potential as a stage play.
" Fo' Dolla', set partly on the island of Bali-ha'i, focuses on the romance between a young Tonkinese woman, Liat, and an American Marine lieutenant, Joe Cable, who is a graduate of Princeton and comes from a wealthy family in Philadelphia. Pressed to marry Liat by her mother, Bloody Mary, Cable refuses, realizing that Liat would never be accepted by his family or society in Philadelphia. He leaves for battle (where he will die), while Bloody Mary tries another plan to marry Liat to a wealthy French planter on the islands. During the story, Cable struggles with his own racism. He is able to love Liat enough to overcome some of his prejudice, but not enough to take her home.
Another source of the musical South Pacific is the eighth story, "Our Heroine," which is paired thematically with the twelfth story, "A Boar's Tooth," as both involve American encounters with local cultures. "Our Heroine" tells the story of Navy nurse Nellie Forbush, from rural Arkansas, and a wealthy French planter named Emile De Becque. After falling in love with Emile, Nellie learns that he has eight children from previous relationships with local women. Michener writes that Nellie believed "any person … who was not white or yellow was a nigger." She accepts two of the children, who are of French-Asian descent, but is shocked by the other two, who are the result of Emile's relationship with a darker Polynesian woman. She is relieved to learn the woman is dead but risks her relationship with Emile when she initially cannot accept his "nigger children." Eventually, she overcomes her feelings and returns to live with Emile.
Other parts of South Pacific come from other stories in Michener's 19 tales. One introduces the character of Bloody Mary, while another describes a British spy hidden on a Japanese-controlled island who sends information about Japanese movements to Allied forces by radio. Michener based this spy, called "the Remittance Man," on a real person, Captain Martin Clemens, a Scottish man who survived the war. The stories also describe the long waiting before battle and how Americans tried to stay busy, which inspired the song "There Is Nothing Like a Dame." Several stories involve a character named Luther Billis, a Seabee who in the musical is used for comic relief and to connect unrelated characters. A 2001 article in Islands Magazine states that Michener renamed Aoba Island Bali-ha'i. The author also interviewed the owner of a resort on Espiritu Santo, who claimed that Emile was modeled after his father and that the "real Bloody Mary" lived on Espiritu Santo for many years after the war and lived to be 102 years old.
Creation
In the early 1940s, composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II, both experienced Broadway artists, began working together. Their first two musicals, Oklahoma! (1943) and Carousel (1945), became very popular. Oklahoma! was innovative because it combined songs, dialogue, and dance in a new way. It became a model for future Broadway shows. In 1999, Time magazine named Carousel the best musical of the 20th century, saying Rodgers and Hammerstein set the standards for musicals during that time. Their next musical, Allegro (1947), was less successful and ran for less than a year, though it made a small profit. After this, Rodgers and Hammerstein aimed to create another hit.
According to director Joshua Logan, a friend of both men, he and Leland Hayward suggested James A. Michener’s bestselling book as a possible basis for the duo’s next project. Rodgers initially ignored the idea, but Hammerstein read the book and convinced Rodgers to take it on, provided they had control over the project. Michener later wrote that the book was first proposed as a movie idea by Kenneth MacKenna, head of MGM’s literary department. MacKenna’s half-brother, Jo Mielziner, who had designed sets for Carousel and Allegro, shared the idea with Hammerstein and Rodgers, promising to help with set design if they accepted the project.
Hayward tried to buy the book’s rights from Michener for $500, but Michener refused. Though playwright Lynn Riggs had received 1.5% of box office earnings for adapting Green Grow the Lilacs into Oklahoma!, Michener accepted 1% of the gross receipts from South Pacific. As Rodgers and Hammerstein worked on the adaptation, Michener focused on helping Hammerstein with lyrics. Rodgers worried the setting might require ukuleles and guitars, which he disliked. Michener assured him that the only instrument he had heard the islanders use was an empty gasoline barrel struck with clubs.
From the beginning, members of the U.S. military were involved. Hammerstein consulted the U.S. Navy’s Director of Training and Information Division for help, and Navy veteran Harold M. Esty, Jr., a Broadway financier, supported the production financially.
Soon after securing the rights, Rodgers and Hammerstein decided not to include a ballet, as they had in earlier works, because the realistic setting would not support it. They avoided making the story too similar to Madama Butterfly, focusing instead on the romance between Nellie and Emile. They included both romances in the musical, making both stories serious and centered on racial prejudice. They expanded the role of Luther Billis, combining elements from other characters, and used his humor for comic relief. They also shortened the title to South Pacific, as producers grew tired of jokes about the original title.
In early drafts, two characters—Bill Harbison and Dinah Culbert—had significant roles but were later reduced. Harbison, a model officer who later asked for a transfer, was originally a rival to Emile for Nellie’s affection. Dinah, a nurse and Nellie’s friend, was considered a possible love interest for Billis, though Navy rules prevented such a relationship. The song “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair” began as a duet between Dinah and Nellie, with Dinah leading the song. As the plot developed, the focus shifted to Nellie’s decision to wash Emile out of her hair, highlighting her emotional growth. In the final version, Dinah only sang one line in the song.
Joshua Logan wrote in his memoirs that by mid-1948, Hammerstein had only completed the first scene, an outline, and some lyrics. Logan, a military veteran, helped Hammerstein with military details. Logan contributed to the dialogue and eventually requested credit for his work. Rodgers and Hammerstein agreed to give him co-writing credit but not royalties. Logan signed a contract quickly, though his lawyer did not mention the deadline. Later, Logan occasionally asked for compensation, but Rodgers’ biographer suggested he received profits from the 1958 film adaptation. Michener’s biographer noted that Logan’s contributions were significant, though hard to quantify, and his military knowledge was vital to the musical’s creation.
Rodgers wrote the music after receiving Hammerstein’s lyrics. Stories say he composed “Happy Talk” in about twenty minutes. When Hammerstein called to check if he had received the lyrics, Rodgers said he had both the lyrics and music. Another story claims Rodgers created the three-note motif for “Bali Ha’i” in ten minutes over coffee. Hammerstein’s lyrics for “Bali Ha’i” were inspired by a stage backdrop painted by Jo Mielziner. Mielziner added mist near the volcano to make the island seem more mysterious, which led Hammerstein to write the line, “my head sticking up from a low-flying cloud.”
Synopsis
During World War II, on a South Pacific island, two half-Polynesian children named Ngana and Jerome sing and play together ("Dites-Moi"). Ensign Nellie Forbush, a young U.S. Navy nurse from Arkansas, has fallen in love with Emile de Becque, a middle-aged French plantation owner, even though they have only met briefly. While others worry about the war, Nellie tells Emile she believes everything will be okay ("A Cockeyed Optimist"). Emile also loves Nellie, and both wonder if their feelings are mutual ("Twin Soliloquies"). Emile recalls meeting Nellie at a dance and feeling an instant connection ("Some Enchanted Evening"). Nellie promises to think about their relationship and returns to the hospital. Emile calls Ngana and Jerome to him, revealing they are his children, a secret Nellie does not yet know.
Meanwhile, American Seabees, led by Luther Billis, complain about the lack of women on the island. Navy nurses are officers and cannot be with enlisted men. The only civilian woman on the island is "Bloody Mary," a sharp-tongued Tonkinese vendor of grass skirts who teases the sailors as she sells her goods ("Bloody Mary"). Billis wants to visit Bali Ha'i, a restricted island, claiming he wants to see a Boar's Tooth Ceremony, though others think he seeks young French women. The sailors express their longing for female companionship ("There Is Nothing Like a Dame").
U.S. Marine Lieutenant Cable arrives from Guadalcanal for a dangerous spy mission that could change the war's outcome. Bloody Mary tells Cable Bali Ha'i is his "special island," and Billis encourages him to go. Cable meets his commanding officers, who ask Emile to help with the mission because he once lived on the island. They also ask Nellie to learn more about Emile's background, such as his political views and why he left France. They have heard Emile may have committed a murder, which could affect his suitability for the mission.
After reconsidering her feelings for Emile, Nellie tells the nurses she will end her relationship with him ("I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair"). However, when Emile unexpectedly invites her to a party, she accepts. Emile declares his love for Nellie and proposes marriage. When she mentions politics, he explains he fled France after standing up to a bully who died in a fight. Nellie agrees to marry him and expresses her joy ("I'm in Love with a Wonderful Guy").
Cable's mission requires landing on a Japanese-held island to report on ship movements. Navy officers ask Emile to guide Cable, but Emile refuses, hoping to build a future with Nellie. Commander Harbison tells Cable to take leave until the mission is ready, and Billis helps him reach Bali Ha'i. There, Billis joins a native ceremony, while Bloody Mary introduces Cable to her daughter, Liat, whom he communicates with in French. Believing Liat's best chance at a better life is to marry an American officer, Bloody Mary leaves her alone with Cable. The two fall in love and spend time together ("Younger Than Springtime"). Billis and the crew wait for Cable, who remains with Liat ("Bali Ha'i" (reprise)). Bloody Mary proudly tells Billis Cable will be her son-in-law.
After Emile's party, he and Nellie celebrate their love ("Reprises of 'I'm in Love with a Wonderful Guy,' 'Twin Soliloquies,' 'Cockeyed Optimist,' and 'I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair'"). Emile introduces Nellie to Ngana and Jerome. Though she finds them charming, she is shocked to learn they are his children from a previous marriage to a Polynesian woman, now deceased. Nellie cannot overcome her racial prejudices and leaves Emile, who mourns what might have been ("Some Enchanted Evening" (reprise)).
On Thanksgiving Day, GIs and nurses perform in a holiday revue titled "Thanksgiving Follies." A week earlier, Bali Ha'i suffered a malaria outbreak. Cable, who has visited Liat often, is also ill but escapes the hospital to be with her. As their bond grows, Bloody Mary encourages them to stay on the island and marry ("Happy Talk"). Cable, aware of his family's prejudices, refuses to marry Liat. Bloody Mary drags Liat away, forcing her to marry an older French plantation owner instead. Cable grieves his loss ("Younger Than Springtime" (reprise)).
For the final act of the revue, Nellie performs a comedic burlesque as a sailor praising her "sweetheart" ("Honey Bun"). Billis plays the sailor, dressed in a wig, grass skirt, and coconut-shell bra. After the show, Emile asks Nellie to reconsider her decision. She insists she cannot love him now that she knows about his children's Polynesian heritage. Frustrated, Emile asks Cable why people hold such prejudices. Cable admits it is learned, not born, and vows never to return to the United States if he survives the war ("You've Got to Be Carefully Taught"). He also vows to stay on the islands. Emile reflects on what might have been ("This Nearly Was Mine") and agrees to join Cable's mission.
The mission begins with air support. Billis stows away on a plane but falls out when it is hit by anti-aircraft fire, ending up in the ocean. The rescue effort accidentally distracts the Japanese, allowing Emile and Cable to land undetected. They report on Japanese ship movements in the "Slot," a strategic strait, and American planes destroy the ships. When Japanese planes attack, Emile escapes, but Cable is killed.
Nellie learns of Cable's death and Emile's disappearance. She realizes she was wrong to reject Emile. Bloody Mary and Liat ask Nellie about Cable; Mary explains Liat refuses to marry anyone but him. Nellie comforts Liat. Cable and Emile's work enables Operation Alligator, a major offensive, to begin. Soldiers, including Billis, prepare for battle.
Nellie spends time with Ngana and Jerome, growing to love them. As the children teach her to sing "Dites-Moi," Emile joins them. He returns to find Nellie has overcome her prejudices and now loves his children. Emile, Nellie, and the children celebrate together ("Dites-Moi").
Songs
A number of songs were changed or removed in the weeks before the first Broadway performance. They are listed in the order they were originally placed in the show:
- "Bright Canary Yellow," a short song for Nellie and Emile, was placed just before "A Cockeyed Optimist." The opening line of "A Cockeyed Optimist," "When the sky is a bright canary yellow," was meant to connect with the earlier song.
- "Now Is the Time" (Emile) was placed in the beach scene (Act I, Scene 7) right after Emile explains to Nellie why he killed the man in France. It was intended to be sung again after "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught," but it was decided that having Emile stay on stage while singing about immediate action was inconsistent. In Act I, it was replaced by a reprise of "Some Enchanted Evening." In Act II, it was first replaced by "Will You Marry Me?" (later used in Pipe Dream) on March 24, 1949, and then by "This Nearly Was Mine" on March 29, just over a week before the Broadway opening on April 7.
- "Loneliness of Evening" (Emile) was removed before the Broadway opening. It was meant to be performed in the first backstage scene (Act II, Scene 2) before "Happy Talk" and used the same melody as "Bright Canary Yellow." This melody appears in the 1958 film as Emile reads aloud the card with the flowers he brings for Nellie’s Thanksgiving show. The second stanza of the song was later used by the Prince in the 1965 TV production of Cinderella.
- A reprise of "Younger Than Springtime," added after January 1949, followed Cable’s rejection of Liat. This addition came after two earlier attempts at songs for Cable. One song, called "My Friend," was a duet for Cable and Liat with lyrics like "My friend, my friend, is coming around the bend," but it was rejected by Logan as one of the worst he had ever heard. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s second attempt, "Suddenly Lucky," was considered too simple and later used in The King and I as "Getting to Know You." The melody for "Younger Than Springtime" was originally from a song called "My Wife," intended for Allegro but not used.
- "Honey Bun" was not included in the January 1949 libretto. A note indicates that lyrics for the song were to be added later.
- "My Girl Back Home" (Cable) came before "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught" in the original score but was removed before the first Broadway production. It appears in the movie version as a duet for Nellie and Cable. It was later added again in the 2002 London revival for Cable.
- "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught" originally included several singing lines for Emile after Cable finished singing his part.
Subsequent productions
The first Australian production of South Pacific opened in September 1952 at His Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne. It played for 10 months and 333 performances before moving to Sydney, Brisbane, and Adelaide. The show returned to Melbourne for another season by late 1954.
A short version of South Pacific by the New York City Center Light Opera Company opened at New York City Center on May 4, 1955, and ended on May 15, 1955. Charles Atkin directed the show, and Motley designed the costumes while Mielziner created the sets. The cast included Richard Collett as Emile, Sandra Deel as Nellie, Carol Lawrence as Liat, Sylvia Syms as Bloody Mary, and Gene Saks as the Professor. A second short version of the same show opened in April 1957 at City Center and ended in May 1957. Jean Dalrymple directed this version, and the cast included Robert Wright as Emile, Mindy Carson as Nellie, and Hall as Bloody Mary. The show was performed again in 1961 with Ann McLerie and William Chapman in the lead roles.
There have been many short or summer versions of South Pacific. One version in 1957 at Long Island's Westbury Music Fair happened at the same time as Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus refusing to allow Black students to attend Central High School in Little Rock. When Nellie said she was from Little Rock, some audience members booed. The director, Logan, refused to change Nellie's hometown, so before each performance, a speech asked the audience to be patient. The audience agreed.
Two versions of South Pacific were performed at Lincoln Center. Richard Rodgers produced the 1967 version, which featured Florence Henderson and Giorgio Tozzi, who had previously sung for Rossano Brazzi in the 1958 film. Joe Layton directed this version, and Eleanor Calbes played Liat, which led to adding a reprise of the song "Bali Ha'i" for her performance. The cast recording was released on LP and later on CD. The musical toured North America from 1986 to 1988, with Robert Goulet and Barbara Eden in the lead roles, and David Carroll as Cable, Armelia McQueen as Bloody Mary, and Lia Chang as Liat. Geraldine Fitzgerald and Ron Field directed the tour. A New York City Opera version in 1987 had Justino Díaz and Stanley Wexler alternating as Emile, and Susan Bigelow and Marcia Mitzman as Nellie.
A 1988 version of South Pacific in London's West End starred Gemma Craven and Emile Belcourt, with Bertice Reading in the cast. It was directed by Roger Redfern and played at the Prince of Wales Theatre from January 20, 1988, to January 14, 1989.
A new version of South Pacific with small changes to the story and music was performed at London's Olivier Theatre by the Royal National Theatre from December 2001 to April 2002. This version celebrated the 100th birthday of Richard Rodgers. Trevor Nunn directed, with Matthew Bourne designing the musical scenes and John Napier creating the sets. Lauren Kennedy played Nellie, and Philip Quast played Emile. This version borrowed from the 1958 film, placing the first scene between Emile and Nellie after introducing Cable, Billis, and Bloody Mary.
A British tour of South Pacific began at the Blackpool Grand Theatre on August 28, 2007, and ended at the Cardiff New Theatre on July 19, 2008. Helena Blackman played Nellie, and Dave Willetts played Emile. Julian Woolford directed, and Chris Hocking choreographed the show. This version was known for its overture, which showed Nellie's journey from Little Rock, Arkansas, to the South Pacific. When the audience entered the theater, they first saw a map of the United States instead of a war scene.
A new Broadway version of South Pacific opened on April 3, 2008, at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater. Bartlett Sher directed, with Christopher Gattelli designing the musical scenes and Joe Langworth as the associate choreographer. Kelli O'Hara played Nellie, Paulo Szot played Emile, and Matthew Morrison played Lt. Cable. Danny Burstein played Billis, and Loretta Ables Sayre played Bloody Mary. Laura Osnes took over for O'Hara during her maternity leave. Szot shared the role of Emile with David Pittsinger. The show closed on August 22, 2010, after 37 previews and 996 regular performances. The production was recorded and broadcast live on PBS's Live from Lincoln Center on August 18, 2010. Most reviews were positive.
A U.S. tour based on the 2008 version began in San Francisco on September 18, 2009. Bartlett Sher directed, with Rod Gilfry as Emile and Carmen Cusack as Nellie. A version of the show opened in London at the Barbican Theatre on August 15, 2011, and closed on October 1, 2011. Paulo Szot and Jason Howard alternated as Emile, with Samantha Womack as Nellie, Loretta Ables Sayre as Bloody Mary, and Alex Ferns as Billis. A U.K. tour followed with Womack, Ables Sayre, and Ferns. The show was also performed by Opera Australia at the Sydney Opera House from August to September 2012 and at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne through October 2012. Teddy Tahu Rhodes played Emile, Lisa McCune played Nellie, Kate Ceberano played Bloody Mary, and Eddie Perfect played Billis. The show later played in Brisbane during the 2012 holiday season, with Christine Anu as Bloody Mary, and toured Australia again in September 2013.
A version of South Pacific at the Chichester Festival Theatre from July to September 2021 was directed by Daniel Evans. Gina Beck and Alex Young shared the role of Nellie, Julian Ovenden played Emile, and Joanna Ampil played Bloody Mary. Beck left the cast in August 2021 for maternity leave. The production toured the UK and Ireland starting in July 2022, with the same cast (minus Young), and received positive reviews. The tour ended in November 2022. A U.S. tour began on February 7, 2022, in Lakeland, Florida, starring Jared Bybee as Emile and Maris McCulley as Nellie. The tour ended on May 22, 2022, in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
Reception and success
Reviewers gave the original production all positive reviews; one critic called it "South Terrific." Steven Suskin noted that the show was one of only eight musicals that opened on Broadway between 1943 and 1964 to receive "unanimous praise from the major first-night newspaper critics." The New York Herald Tribune wrote:
The New York Daily Mirror critic wrote, "Programmed as a musical play, South Pacific is just that. It has no ballets or elaborate dancing. It has no chorus in the traditional sense. Every person in it plays a role. It may start a new trend in musicals." The review continued: "Every song is so strong that it is hard to decide which will be the most popular." The review in New York World-Telegram described the show as "the best modern blending of music and popular theatre, with the best balance between story and song, and between humor and sadness." Brooks Atkinson of The New York Times especially praised Pinza's performance: "Mr. Pinza's deep voice is the most beautiful heard on a Broadway stage in many years. He sings with great care and beauty. He declared that "Some Enchanted Evening," sung by Pinza, "should become very famous." Richard Watts, Jr. of the New York Post focused on Mary Martin's performance, writing, "nothing I have seen her do prepared me for the beauty, humor, and charm of her portrayal of Nellie Forbush … who is surprised by her early racial prejudices. Her performance is very appealing."
When South Pacific opened in London in November 1951, the reviews were mixed. London's Daily Express praised the music but disliked other parts of the show, writing, "We got a 42nd Street Madame Butterfly, the weakest of all the Hammerstein-Rodgers musicals." The Daily Mail suggested, "The play moved so slowly between its songs that it seemed more like South Soporific." The Times praised the songs but noted that "before the end, the singing and dancing have almost disappeared, while the simple story is wrapped up in a traditional way." The Manchester Guardian, however, noted the excitement before the opening and concluded that "there was no disappointment … the show energizes the audience and deserves the cheers." Drama critic Kenneth Tynan of The Spectator wrote that South Pacific was "the first musical romance seriously dealing with an adult topic … I have nothing but praise for Logan, Rodgers and Hammerstein."
A 2006 review stated: "Many knowledgeable people believe Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific, brilliantly co-written and staged by Joshua Logan, was the greatest musical of all." In 1987, John Rockwell of The New York Times reviewed the City Opera production, commenting that while South Pacific had been innovative for 1949, "Sondheim has long since surpassed its formal innovations, and the repeated songs sound mechanical. In 1949, South Pacific reflected the concerns of the time – America's global responsibilities and the dangers of racism. … At its 1967 State Theater revival, the show seemed outdated. It still feels that way, with MAS*H having updated this same setting." A 2008 Huffington Post review criticized the play for having an Orientalist and Western-focused storyline in which stereotypical characters play "exotic background roles" in relation to Americans, and it described the relationship between Cable and Liat as underage prostitution, noting that she "speaks not a word in the whole musical, only smiles and takes the Yankee to bed." South Pacific is the only major American musical set in World War II, but former Marine Robert Leckie wrote his memoir of that conflict, Helmet for My Pillow, after he walked out of a performance: "I have to tell the story of how it really was. I have to let people know the war wasn't a musical."
South Pacific opened on Broadway with $400,000 in advance sales. People were so eager to get tickets that the press wrote about the extreme measures people took to obtain them. Because "house seats" were sold by scalpers for $200 or more, the attorney general's office threatened to close the show. The people who provided the scalpers with the tickets were never identified, and the show continued without interference. The production earned $50,600 weekly and ran for 1,925 performances. The national tour began in 1950 and earned $3,000,000 in the first year, making $1,500,000 in profit. The original cast album, priced at $4.85, sold more than a million copies.
The original production of South Pacific won ten Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Male Performer (Pinza), Best Female Performer (Martin), Best Supporting Male Performer (McCormick), Best Supporting Female Performer (Hall), Best Director (Logan), Best Book and Best Score. As of 2016, it is the only show to win Tonys in all four acting categories. In 1950, the musical won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the second musical to do so after Of Thee I Sing, which won in 1932. Rodgers became the first composer of musical comedy to win the Pulitzer, as composer George Gershwin had not been recognized for Of Thee I Sing. The Pulitzer Prize was initially given only to Rodgers and Hammerstein; Logan was later recognized in an amended announcement, much to his annoyance.
The 2001 London revival earned a Laurence Olivier Award for Philip Quast (Emile). The 2008 revival won seven Tony Awards, including Best Revival (Sher and Szot also won, and the show won in all four design categories), and five Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Musical Revival. The late Robert Russell Bennett was also honored that season for "his historic contribution to American musical theatre in the field of orchestrations, as represented on Broadway this season by Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific." As of 2016, this was the musical revival with the most Tony Awards. The 2011 London production received three Olivier Award nominations, including Best Musical Revival, but won none.
Themes and cultural effect
One reason South Pacific is considered a classic is because it addresses racism. Professor Philip Beidler explains that Rodgers and Hammerstein used the Broadway theater to make a bold statement against racial discrimination, especially in the United States after World War II. While the book Tales of the South Pacific also touches on racism, the musical gives it a more central role. Andrea Most notes that in the late 1940s, American liberals like Rodgers and Hammerstein focused on fighting racial equality as a way to support their progressive ideas without being accused of supporting communism. Trevor Nunn, who directed the 2001 West End production, highlights that the musical’s message was powerful because it showed a Southern woman, Nellie, about to become the mother of a mixed-race family in 1949, a time when such a situation was rare and meaningful.
From the early drafts, Hammerstein and Logan made racism a key part of the story. Hammerstein rewrote a scene in Act II where Emile, Nellie, and Cable discuss the racism of the American characters. Critic Robert Butler noted that if one person has a prejudice, it might be a personal flaw, but if many people share it, it shows problems in society. In one version of the script, Emile criticized the Americans for being as prejudiced as the Axis Powers and suggested they return home to sing about equality. However, Hammerstein changed this because a postwar American audience might have found it offensive. In the final version, Emile only says two lines about prejudice not being inborn.
A key part of the scene is Cable’s song, “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught,” where he realizes the roots of his own racism. The song’s honest lyrics made it controversial. Michener, the author of the original book, recalled that some New Englanders wanted the song removed after a tryout. Hammerstein refused, saying the song was central to the show’s message. Some critics, like Elliot Norton, thought the song should be removed or softened because of the racism in Boston. Others, like John Mason Brown, found the song’s message about tolerance uncomfortable. After the Broadway opening, Hammerstein received many letters about the song. Some praised it, while others thought it hurt the show’s message of unity.
When the musical toured in Wilmington, Delaware, where theaters were segregated, Rodgers and Hammerstein threatened to cancel the show unless seating was integrated, which it became. In 1953, during a tour in Atlanta, two Georgia lawmakers criticized the song “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught,” claiming it promoted communist ideas. They argued that intermarriage led to “half-breeds” and that the South should keep “pure bloodlines.” The Northern press mocked the lawmakers, and Hammerstein said he was surprised that kindness and decency were thought to come from Moscow. Because of the song, the musical faced challenges in booking performances in the Deep South.
In Act I’s final scene, Nellie rejects Emile because of his mixed-race children, failing to live up to the American ideal that “all men are created equal.” This scene was softened in later versions. In early drafts, Nellie used the word “colored” to describe Emile’s first wife, which made her less sympathetic. This line was later restored in the 2008 Lincoln Center production. Frank Rich of The New York Times noted that Nellie’s racism made it hard for audiences to like her. Andrea Most points out that even Emile is affected by racism, as his lifestyle benefits from underpaid native labor, like Bloody Mary’s workers who make grass skirts for American soldiers.
Nellie Forbush’s journey from Little Rock, Arkansas, to becoming a Navy nurse and then a housewife reflects the experiences of many American women during the time. Many women worked during the war but were expected to leave their jobs after the war to make way for men, with marriage and motherhood as their main paths to financial stability. To help audiences accept Nellie’s choices, her past was made less controversial compared to the character in Michener’s book, who had a 4-F boyfriend and an affair.
The male characters in South Pacific are meant to appear traditionally masculine. After World War II, American soldiers were seen as strong and heroic. Cable’s relationship with Liat shows his strength. Billis, who runs a laundry and wears a grass skirt in the “Thanksgiving Follies,” is shown as comic and focused on money. His interest in women on Bali H’ai reinforces his masculinity. Meryle Secrest, in her biography of Rodgers, suggests that South Pacific marks a shift for the creators from stories about equally matched characters to those involving older men and younger women. This pattern appears in only two of their later musicals, The King and I and The Sound of Music.
Music and recordings
The role of Nellie Forbush in South Pacific was the first time Rodgers and Hammerstein gave a powerful female singer the leading role, instead of a lyric soprano like Laurey in Oklahoma! or Julie in Carousel. According to Mordden, "Nellie was something new in R&H, singing a large part of the music with a strong, Broadway-style voice."
Nellie does not sing together with Emile because Rodgers promised the actor Martin that she would not have to compete vocally with Pinza. However, the composer tried to connect them through the music. A group of four notes, called a tetrachord, is played during the instrumental introduction to "Dites-Moi," the show's first song. These notes, C-B-A-G, are repeated in Nellie's music and in songs she shares with Emile, such as "Twin Soliloquies," and even in the bridge of "Some Enchanted Evening." Lovensheimer says this symbolizes Nellie's line in Act II: "We're the same sort of people fundamentally – you and me."
Originally, "Twin Soliloquies" ended after the vocal part. Logan thought this ending was not satisfying and worked with Trude Rittmann to create a better ending called "Unspoken Thoughts." This music plays as Nellie and Emile drink brandy together and is called by Lovensheimer "the one truly operatic moment of the score." "This Nearly Was Mine" is a big bass solo for Emile in waltz rhythm. Rodgers biographer William G. Hyland calls it "one of his finest efforts." The song uses only five notes in the first four bars, then repeats them with a slight change. It ends an octave higher than it began, making it perfect for Pinza's voice.
Two songs, "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair" and "Honey Bun," copy the style of American popular songs from the 1940s. In "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair," the repeated use of the song title suggests a big band arrangement from the wartime era. The bridge repeats lyrics in a lively, swinging style. Parts of the song with lines like "If the man don't understand you" and "If you laugh at different comics" have a blues sound. Lovensheimer says the song shows Nellie expressing her feelings through the language of popular music. Mordden suggests "I'm in Love with a Wonderful Guy" might be the center of the score, as it shows an American girl defending her love with common phrases made up by Hammerstein, like "corny as Kansas in August."
Columbia Records recorded the overture and most songs from the original production in 1949, using cast members like Ezio Pinza and Mary Martin. The album was released on 78-rpm discs and LP records in 1949. Critic John Kenrick says the original cast recording "is the rare stuff that lasting legends are made of," an essential classic. It was number one for 63 weeks, selling over one million copies. A CD was released in 1988 from unused magnetic tape recordings from the same 1949 sessions. The CD includes bonus tracks like "Loneliness of Evening" and "Bali Ha'i." The original cast album was added to the National Recording Registry in 2013 for preservation. The film soundtrack was released by RCA Victor in 1958. Kenrick calls the recording "mixed up" and does not recommend it.
Masterworks Broadway released a recording of the 1967 Lincoln Center production, featuring Florence Henderson as Nellie and Giorgio Tozzi as Emile. The recording includes "Bali Ha'i" sung in French by Eleanor Calbes. Kenrick says "Every track of this 1967 Lincoln Center cast recording is such a winner that you can't help wondering why it took so long for this winner to make its way to CD." He notes it is a more complete version than the original cast album.
In 1986, José Carreras and Kiri Te Kanawa made a studio recording of South Pacific, with sessions filmed as a documentary. Emile's music was adjusted to fit Carreras's voice. The recording also featured Sarah Vaughan as Bloody Mary and Mandy Patinkin as Cable. Stephen Holden called the album "a show tune lover's dream come true." Kenrick calls the recording "badly miscast" and "pretentious trash." He gives mixed praise to the 1988 London revival cast album.
The 2001 Royal National Theatre revival was recorded in 2002 with Philip Quast as Emile and Lauren Kennedy as Nellie. The album includes the cut song "Now Is the Time." Kenrick says most critics like the recording but finds it a waste of money. The 2005 Carnegie Hall concert version was released in 2006 with Reba McEntire as Nellie and Brian Stokes Mitchell as Emile. Kenrick describes this recording as "one of the most ravishing that this glorious Rodgers & Hammerstein classic has ever received" and "a show tune lover's dream come true." The 2008 Broadway revival cast album was released in 2008 by Masterworks Broadway. Kenrick finds it "very satisfying."
Film and television versions
The film South Pacific, made in 1958, was the most successful movie of that year. Joshua Logan directed it, and it featured actors Rossano Brazzi, Mitzi Gaynor, John Kerr, Ray Walston, Juanita Hall, and France Nuyen. Only Gaynor and Walston sang their own voices; the others used voice actors. Thurl Ravenscroft, who later played Tony the Tiger on television, sang the deep bass parts in the song "There Is Nothing Like a Dame." The film began with a scene showing a character flying to an island in a PBY aircraft, followed by scenes of soldiers landing on a beach. It also included a character’s rescue and scenes from a mission to spy on the Japanese. The film won an Academy Award for Best Sound and was nominated for Best Scoring of a Musical Picture (Alfred Newman and Ken Darby) and for special camera techniques by Leon Shamroy. Some critics disliked how the film used colors to show emotions, with actors changing colors when they sang. The song "My Girl Back Home," performed by a character named Cable, was not in the original stage version. The film was the third most successful in the United States during the 1950s, and its earnings in the United Kingdom were the highest ever recorded until 1963. Although some reviewers said the film was poorly made, it later became popular on television, videotape, and DVD.
A television version of South Pacific, directed by Richard Pearce, was made in 2001. It starred Glenn Close as Nellie, Harry Connick, Jr. as Cable, and Rade Sherbedgia as Emile. This version changed the order of songs, beginning with "There Is Nothing Like a Dame," and left out the song "Happy Talk." The song "My Girl Back Home" was filmed but not shown on television due to time limits; it was added to the DVD released in 2001. The film’s final scenes showed wartime events, including images of soldiers separated by race. This version included some changes from the original story, such as making Harry Connick, Jr.’s character more realistic.
The New York Times praised Glenn Close’s performance, saying she portrayed Nellie with maturity and a hint of hidden worry. The review also said the film was better made than the 1958 version and praised the singing. However, Kenrick criticized the 2001 version, calling it a poor adaptation and saying it might disappoint fans of the original musical.
In 2005, a concert version of South Pacific was performed at Carnegie Hall. It lasted two hours and included all the songs and music. Reba McEntire played Nellie, Brian Stokes Mitchell played Emile, Alec Baldwin played Billis, and Lillias White played Bloody Mary. The performance used original musical arrangements by Robert Russell Bennett and was conducted by Paul Gemignani. It was broadcast on television in 2006 and released on DVD the same year. A New York Times critic said Reba McEntire was perfectly cast as Nellie and that the audience was very impressed. Kenrick praised Brian Stokes Mitchell’s performance of the song "This Nearly Was Mine" and said the concert helped restore the musical’s reputation.