an enchanted evening

August 22, 2002 performance reviewed by Pat Nichols

Barrington Stage Company opened its 2002 season with the memorable South Pacific, winner of nine Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize. Julianne Boyd directed and Tony Parise choreographed the production which celebrates the centennial of Richard Rodgers' birth.

Based on the James Michner’s novel Tales of the South Pacific, Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein, Jr. set a wide range of emotions to music that still rings with familiarity today; songs such as "I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Out-a My Hair," the rousing "There is Nothing Like A Dame," and the still-haunting "Bali Ha’i."

The story of two romances unfolds against a backdrop of the ever present WWII as the nurses, Seabees, and military personnel come to grips with the hidden cultural issues that arise between different races and backgrounds and how “...most people live on an island in the middle of the foggy sea." (Bali Ha’i lyric)

As the play opens, two young girls, Ngana and Marthe, played by Brittney Arneson-White and Arielle Watlington, practice their French lessons to the song "Dites-Moi" in a charming display of the innocence of children despite the closeness of the war.

Christianne Tisdale as Nellie Forbush warms up to the role of a nurse falling in love with an older man who has secrets in his past. It is a delightful scene where she belts out "I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Out-a My Hair," complete with a make-shift shower on stage and a chorus line of nurses offering her encouragement.

Peter Samuel as Emil de Begue, the exiled Frenchman, projects a quiet strength coupled with integrity and courage. His baritone proved a perfect match for 'Some Enchanted Evening" and the poignant "This Nearly Was Mine." As he and Nelly fall in love, they each hide from the other certain aspects of the their backgrounds.

The rough-and-tumble Seabees and the US officers lighten-up the story even as they keep it rolling. The indomitable Bloody Mary, played by Gail Nelson, jousts with them for souvenirs as she plots to match her daughter with the handsome Lt. Joe Cable, plaayed by Ayal Miodovnik.

Christopher Vettel as the wheeler-dealer Luther Billis, who tries to undercut Bloody Mary with his own brand of souvenirs, never misses an opportunity to make a deal, even if it means a fake, dried human head.

The minimalist sets, large movable panels that change as the lighting moves from one color to another, provide effective glimpses of the island paradise where the play takes place: the officers’ headquarters, de Beque’s patio, and even the intimacy of an unexpected love nest.

The cast sorts through the various secrets, the hidden prejudices, and fears as they question their own ability to see others in a new light.

Aided by music that stands the test of time and a cast of fine actors, Barrington Stage has made South Pacific shine again in an era when the issues it addresses remain of paramount importance.