South Pacific (2019) – Riverside Center for the Performing Arts

Music by

Richard Rodgers

Lyrics by

Oscar Hammerstein II

Book by

Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan

Adapted from the Pulitzer Prize winning novel “Tales of the South Pacific” by James Michener

Set against the dramatic background of an idyllic South Pacific island during WWII, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific intertwines the themes of romance, duty, and prejudice to create a story that is all at once hilarious, heartbreaking, and thought-provoking. Based on the anecdotes of a real-life U.S. Navy commander stationed on an island, the musical follows two intercultural love stories: Nellie, a spunky nurse from Arkansas, falls in love with Emile, a French plantation owner on the island who has two children from his late Polynesian wife; at the same time, U.S. Lieutenant Cable falls for a beautiful island native named Liat. Both Americans find themselves struggling to reconcile their own cultural prejudices with their amorous feelings, all the while under the dark cloud of a war that is coming ever closer to their island paradise.

RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN’S SOUTH PACIFIC

is presented through special arrangement with Rodgers & Hammerstein Theatrical.

All authorized performance materials are also supplied by R&H Theatrical.

www.rnh.com

C A S T

Branch Fields

Emile de Becque

Kate Marshall

Ensign Nellie Forbush

Kadejah Oné

Bloody Mary

Joey Birchler

Lieutenant Joseph Cable, United States Marine Corps

Alan Hoffman

Luther Billis

Robert John Biedermann

Captain George Brackett, United States Navy

Sally Roehl

Liat

Ian Lane

Commander William Harbison, United States Navy

Raina Chan

Ngana

Silas Iem

Jerome

Adelyne Anderson

Ensign Cora McRea

Elizabeth C. Butler

Ensign Bessie Noonan

Andrea Kahane

Lieutenant Genevieve Marshall

Shana Lambert

Henri

Katie Little

Ensign Janet MacGregor

Erica Morchower

Ensign Sue Yaeger

Stephanie Wood

Ensign Dinah Murphy

Kevin Cleary

Yemon Herbert Quale/Radio Operator/Seabee

Cody Hall

Tom O’ Brien, Sailor

Colby LeRoy

Stewpot (Carpenter’s Mate Second Class, George Watts)

Wilson Pezzuto

Lieutenant Buzz Adams

Andrew Prowant

Johnny Noonan, Seabee

C. Alexander Smith

Richard West, Seabee

Theron Smith III

Professor

C R E A T I V E

Music by

Richard Rodgers

Lyrics by

Oscar Hammerstein II

Book by

Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan

Adapted from

The Pulitzer Prize winning novel “Tales of the South Pacific” by James Michener

Produced by

Patrick A’Hearn

Directed and Choreographed by

Penny Ayn Maas

Music Direction by

Angela Donadio

Scenic Design by

Frank Foster

Lighting Design by

Michael Jarett

Costume Design by

Kyna Chilcot

Sound Design by

Billy Timms

Production Stage Manager

Jessica Dotson

Properties Master & Set Dresser

Bridgid K. Burge

R E L A T E D

RC News & Announcements

Aug 5, 2019

[Prince George’s Sentinel] An Enchanted Evening with ‘South Pacific’

Aug 5, 2019

“I wish I could tell you about the South Pacific. The way it actually was. The endless ocean. The infinite specks of coral we called islands. Coconut palms nodding gracefully toward the ocean. Reefs upon which waves broke into spray, and inner lagoons, lovely beyond description.”

So begins James Michener’s “Tales of the South Pacific,” the book which was the inspirational source of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic musical “South Pacific.”

The challenge of this musical was to combine visual beauty with the horror of war while sprinkling in elements of romantic comedy.

The Riverside Center for the Performing Arts production, masterfully directed by and choreographed by Penny Ayn Maas and produced by Patrick A’Hearn, succeeds in weaving these delicate threads of the music together and is complemented with an outstanding cast and brilliant singing and musical numbers.

Aug 5, 2019

[DC Metro Theatre Arts] Review: ‘South Pacific’ at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts

Aug 5, 2019

Riverside Center for the Performing Arts presents Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific. The winner of multiple Tony awards, as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, South Pacific continues to charm audiences seventy years after its debut. Penny Ayn Maas directs and choreographs a powerhouse cast for this beloved production.

Aug 5, 2019

[Culpeper Times] CURTAIN CALLS: Islands of delight dot ‘South Pacific’

Aug 5, 2019

One enchanted evening many years ago (seventy, to be exact) Messrs. Rodgers and Hammerstein opened their mint new musical, “South Pacific”, for its New Haven and Boston previews. The response was immediate and enthusiastic… Riverside Center’s just-opened production scores where it counts most in this tale of two non-traditional love affairs and war in the Pacific. Central to the conflict are one middle-aged Frenchman with the mysterious past, Emile de Becque, and his much younger love interest, the Arkansas-bred nurse, Ensign Nellie Forbush. Around them swirl issues of Japanese invasion, high jinks among the sailors, and a separate, doomed love affair with further racial implications.

Aug 5, 2019

[Free Lance-Star] Riverside Center for the Performing Arts sets course for ‘South Pacific’

Aug 5, 2019

When “South Pacific” first débuted on Broadway, it was an immediate hit.

That was in 1949, pulling on the reflective heartstrings of audiences who had World War II fresh on their minds.

Flash forward to today: While WWII is long gone, many of the Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein musical’s poignant messages still hit home. The show owns the Riverside Center for the Performing Arts stage through Sept. 15.

Aug 5, 2019

[Press Release] Riverside Center for the Performing Arts Announces Cast and Creative Team for South Pacific

Aug 5, 2019

Riverside Center for the Performing Arts is excited to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Pulitzer Prize-winning South Pacific with its new production in Fredericksburg, VA. The Rodgers and Hammerstein classic – which premiered in 1949 – did not have a revival until the 2008 Lincoln Center production (which, like its predecessor, won multiple Tony Awards®). Several of its songs, including “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair,” “Some Enchanted Evening,” “There is Nothing Like a Dame,” “Happy Talk,” and “I’m In Love with a Wonderful Guy” have become popular standards.

Aug 5, 2019

[CBS6’s Virginia This Morning] ‘South Pacific’ Returns!

Aug 5, 2019

RICHMOND, Va – Riverside Center for The Performing Arts features many great productions during the year. Their latest musical offering is “South Pacific” that creates a story during World War 2 that is filled with laughter, sorrow, and thought-provoking moments. Producing Artistic Director Patrick A’Hearn along with actors Branch Fields and Kate Marshall stop by CBS6’s Virginia This Morning for a brief interview and a musical performance.

Aug 5, 2019

Penny Ayn Maas previews “Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific” with Town Talk’s Ted Schubel!

Aug 5, 2019

Listen to Penny Ayn Maas (Director & Choreographer) preview our upcoming production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific at Riverside alongside director and Riverside Center’s Producing Artistic Director, Patrick A’Hearn and Town Talk’s Ted Schubel (NewsTalk 1230 WFVA).

Aug 5, 2019