Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific: In Concert

AN R&H THEATRICALS TITLE

Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific: In Concert

Full-Length Musical, Drama  /  3w, 7m, 1girl(s), 1boy(s)

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 A. Michener
Adapted by David Ives

In this concert version of the Rodgers & Hammerstein classic, two parallel love stories are threatened by the dangers of prejudice and war.

Image: 2008 Lincoln Center Theater Production (Joan Marcus)

Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific: In Concert

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    3w, 7m, 1girl(s), 1boy(s)
  • Duration
    Duration
    More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Adaptation (Literature), Period, Docudrama/History
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Pre-Teen (Age 11-13), Teen (Age 14-18)
Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific: In Concert
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Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific

Details

Summary
In an island paradise during World War II, Nellie, a spunky nurse from Arkansas, falls in love with a mature French planter, Emile. Nellie learns that the mother of his children was an island native and, unable to turn her back on the prejudices with which she was raised, refuses Emile's proposal of marriage. Meanwhile, the strapping Lt. Joe Cable denies himself the fulfillment of a future with an innocent Tonkinese girl with whom he's fallen in love out of the same fears that haunt Nellie. When Emile is recruited to accompany Joe on a dangerous mission that claims Joe's life, Nellie realizes that life is too short not to seize her own chance for happiness, thus confronting and conquering her prejudices. This concert adaptation was created by David Ives for the Carnegie Hall benefit concert of South Pacific in 2006.
History
Based on Tales of the South Pacific, James Michener’s collection of short stories, South Pacific opened on Broadway at the the Majestic Theatre on 7 April 1949, starring Mary Martin, Ezio Pinza and Juanita Hall. South Pacific received the 1950 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and for the first time the committee included a composer in the drama prize. The show received ten Tony Awards (including Best Musical), a Grammy Award and countless other accolades. For years the second-longest running show in Broadway history (right behind Oklahoma!), South Pacific returned to Broadway in a celebrated 2008 revival starring Kelli O'Hara and Paolo Szot. The show has proven itself a classic in countless productions around the world and was adapted onscreen in the 1958 film starring Rossano Brazzi and Mitzi Gaynor and in a 2001 made-for-television film starring Glenn Close and Harry Connick, Jr.
Keywords
Performing Groups

ENSEMBLE:
Large singing ensemble consisting of Islanders, Officers, Sailors, Marines, Seabees* and Soldiers

CHARACTERS:
Ensign Nellie Forbush – A nurse from Arkansas
Emile De Becque – An expatriate French plantation owner
Ngana – Emile’s young, half-Polynesian daughter
Jerome – Emile’s young, half-Polynesian son
French Servant
Bloody Mary – A Tonkinese native, expert at trading with the military men
Liat – Bloody Mary’s daughter
Luther Billis – A sailor, Seabee*
Stewpot (Carpenter's Mate Second Class, George Watts)
Professor – A sailor
Lt. Joseph Cable, United States Marine Corps
Capt. George Brackett, United States Navy – The highest ranking officer
Cmdr. William Harbison, United States Navy – The second-highest ranking officer
Lead Nurse
Nurses, Officers, Sailors, Seabees*, Marines and Soldiers, French Girls

CASTING NOTE:
The story takes place in the South Pacific during World War II. The cast includes Americans and people native to the South Pacific. Those characters native to the area should be cast accordingly. The use of make-up or prosthetics to alter an actor’s ethnicity is prohibited.

*Seabees are sailors who serve in the Construction Battalion (hence their acronym, C.B.). They are responsible for the construction and maintenance of the bases and their equipment.

The story takes place in the South Pacific during World War II. The cast
includes Americans and people native to the South Pacific. Those
characters native to the area should be cast accordingly. The use of
make-up or prosthetics to alter an actor’s ethnicity is prohibited.

  • Time Period 1940s/WWII
  • Setting Two islands in the South Pacific during World War II.
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Duration More than 120 minutes (2 hours)

Media

Videos

  • South Pacific Through Time and History youtube thumbnail

    South Pacific Through Time and History

Music

Music Samples

Act I

1. Overture – Orchestra
2. “Dites-Moi” – Ngana and Jerome
3. “A Cockeyed Optimist” – Nellie
4. “Twin Soliloquies” – Nellie and Emile
5. “Some Enchanted Evening” – Emile
6. “Dites-Moi (Reprise)” – Ngana and Jerome
7. “Bloody Mary” – Sailors, Seabees and Marines
8. “There Is Nothin’ Like A Dame” – Billis, Sailors, Seabees and Marines
9. “Bali Ha’i” – Bloody Mary
10. “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair” – Nellie
11. “Some Enchanted Evening (Reprise)” – Emile and Nellie
12. “A Wonderful Guy” – Nellie and Nurses
13. “Bali Ha’i (Reprise)” – French and Native Girls
14. “Younger Than Springtime” – Cable
15. “Finale Act I” – Emile

Act II

16. Entr’acte – Orchestra
17. “Dance” – Nellie, Nurses and G.I’s
18. “Happy Talk” – Bloody Mary and Liat
19. “Honey Bun” – Nellie, Billis and Ennsemble
20. “You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught” – Cable
21. “This Nearly Was Mine” – Emile
22. “Some Enchanted Evening (Reprise)” – Nellie
23. “Finale Ultimo” – Orchestra

Flute (Doubling Piccolo)
Oboe (Doubling English Horn)
Clarinet 1
Clarinet 2
Bassoon
Horn 1
Horn 2
Horn 3
Trumpet 1
Trumpet 2
Trumpet 3
Trombone 1
Trombone 2
Tuba
Harp
Percussion (Trap Set, Timpani, Bells, Marimba, Xylophone, Vibraphone, Oriental Tom-Tom)
Violin 1 (Divisi)
Violin 2 (Divisi)
Viola (Divisi)
Cello (Divisi)
Bass
String Syntheziser (Optional)


DIVISI NOTE: In the original Broadway pit of SOUTH PACIFIC there were 2 players on Violin A, 2 players on Violin B, 2 players on Violin C, 2 players on Violin D, 3 Violists, 2 Cellists, and 1 Bass player.
  • Musical Style Classic Broadway
  • Dance Requirements Moderate
  • Vocal DemandsModerate
  • Chorus Size Medium

Licensing & Materials

  • Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.

    PLEASE BE ADVISED: There are multiple versions of this title. Before you proceed, please double-check to ensure that you are applying for the version you want. We will not be able to refund rental or shipping fees if you pay for the wrong version. If you’re not sure which version best suits your needs, you may purchase a perusal for each available version.

Music Rentals

Concord offers a full suite of resources to help you put on the show of a lifetime!
30 Libretto-Vocal
1 Piano-Conductor
1 Flute
1 Oboe
1 Clarinet 1
1 Clarinet 2
1 Bassoon
1 Horn 1
1 Horn 2
1 Horn 3
1 Trumpet 1
1 Trumpet 2
1 Trumpet 3
1 Trombone 1
1 Trombone 2
1 Tuba
1 Percussion
1 Harp
1 Violin 1
1 Violin 2
1 Viola
1 Cello
1 Bass
1 String Synthesizer (Optional)
1 Full Score (Act 1)
1 Full Score (Act 2)

Additional Material:
Additional song "My Girl Back Home" is available for an additional fee. Please contact your licensing representative for additional information.
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Authors

Richard Rodgers

Richard Rodgers

Richard Rodgers' contribution to the musical theatre of his day was extraordinary, and his influence on the musical theatre of today and tomorrow is legendary. His career spanned more than six decades, his hits ranging from the silver screens of Hollywood to the bright light ...

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Oscar Hammerstein II

Oscar Hammerstein II

Oscar Hammerstein II was born on July 12, 1895 in New York City. His father, William, was a theatre manager and for many years director of Hammerstein's Victoria, the most popular vaudeville theatre of its day. His uncle, Arthur Hammerstein, was a successful Broadway producer ...

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Joshua Logan

Joshua Logan

Joshua Logan (1908-1988) was born in Texarkana, Texas and was one of the foremost men of stage and screen – a director, writer, and producer whose list of hits is awe-inspiring. His stage directorial credits included On Borrowed Time, I Married an Angel, Knickerbocker Holiday ...

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James A. Michener

James A. Michener

James A. Michener (1907-1997) graduated from Swarthmore College and continued his studies at many institutions at home and abroad. His first book, Tales of the South Pacific, was published when he was forty. In the course of the next forty-five years Mr. Michener would write ...

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David Ives

David Ives
David Ives has been active in the American theatre for 50 years. His shows include All In The Timing, Time Flies, Venus In Fur, New Jerusalem: The Interrogation of Baruch de Spinoza, and four verse adaptations of French comedies, as well as radio plays that are available onli ...
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