Set against the backdrop of World War II on an island in Polynesia, SOUTH PACIFIC is based on James Michener’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. The plot follows a Navy nurse from Arkansas who falls in love with a middle-aged French plantation owner, and a Marine Lieutenant from an upperclass East Coast family who finds himself attracted to an alluring young native girl.
SOUTH PACIFIC
Reviews
Director Katharine Farmer has succeeded by delivering a beautifully produced, ravishing production of the show that runs the gamut of emotions, from the passionate romance of its mismatched lead characters to the ribald humor of the Seabees and the tragedy of its secondary love story.
I never could have imagined how the small stage of the Rubicon theatre could feature a show with such a large cast but they do a miraculous job with the entire production and with such quality performers. The two leads, Ben Davis and Madison Claire, have wonderful voices and do justice to every song they sing.
All song and dance routines are faultlessly executed on a small stage by a large number of performers. The leading stars have wonderful singing voices and are ably supported by the entire talented ensemble.
Like the shifting waves in those projected seascapes, the serious message of “South Pacific” still teases, retreats and, ultimately, lands with timely urgency. Although it's easy enough to rail against things we're against, Rodgers and Hammerstein challenged us to dig deeper and recognize what we stand for.
Intimacy isn't a word normally associated with the Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific, just one reason the 200-seat Rubicon Theatre Company's two-piano revival is a December must-see. Others are its superb quartet of lead performers, an all-around terrific supporting cast, direction by a gifted young Brit, refreshingly original choreography by a SoCal star, and a simply gorgeous production design, all of which more than do justice to a 20th-century American musical theater classic.
With a simmering stew of disgust, anger, and desperation combined with a mysterious merriment and weary wisdom that makes her both playful and sad, Kimura is a revelation. As if this show wasn't a wondrous journey on it own, her extra-exotic performance is a travelogue in itself. Do not miss this South Pacific, which only runs through December 23, 2018.
Director Katharine Farmer has succeeded by delivering a beautifully produced, ravishing production of the show that runs the gamut of emotions, from the passionate romance of its mismatched lead characters to the ribald humor of the Seabees and the tragedy of its secondary love story.
I never could have imagined how the small stage of the Rubicon theatre could feature a show with such a large cast but they do a miraculous job with the entire production and with such quality performers. The two leads, Ben Davis and Madison Claire, have wonderful voices and do justice to every song they sing.
All song and dance routines are faultlessly executed on a small stage by a large number of performers. The leading stars have wonderful singing voices and are ably supported by the entire talented ensemble.
Like the shifting waves in those projected seascapes, the serious message of “South Pacific” still teases, retreats and, ultimately, lands with timely urgency. Although it's easy enough to rail against things we're against, Rodgers and Hammerstein challenged us to dig deeper and recognize what we stand for.
Intimacy isn't a word normally associated with the Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific, just one reason the 200-seat Rubicon Theatre Company's two-piano revival is a December must-see. Others are its superb quartet of lead performers, an all-around terrific supporting cast, direction by a gifted young Brit, refreshingly original choreography by a SoCal star, and a simply gorgeous production design, all of which more than do justice to a 20th-century American musical theater classic.
With a simmering stew of disgust, anger, and desperation combined with a mysterious merriment and weary wisdom that makes her both playful and sad, Kimura is a revelation. As if this show wasn't a wondrous journey on it own, her extra-exotic performance is a travelogue in itself. Do not miss this South Pacific, which only runs through December 23, 2018.