South Pacific Broadway Cast (PBS) vs Touring Cast

[BroadwayNorth2]

I have the amazing opportunity as an inside usher at the glorious Four Seasons Centre (our Opera House) in Toronto to watch the current touring production of Lincoln Centre's South Pacific (night after night).
I also watched the PBS broadcast this past week, and although it's admittedly not a perfect sample of the cast during live performances, I must say that the touring show has a huge leg up, at least with the majority of the acting performances. Although I'd give a slight edge in the singing to O'hara (a more-than-slight edge, actually), Samonsky and Burstein, I'd give a HUGE edge in acting to Carmen Cusack (Nellie), Matthew Saldivar (Billis), Jodi Kimura (Bloody Mary) and Anderson Davis (Cable). Szot is surely more hunky and younger-looking than Jason Howard, who sports a lower bass-baritone with which stops the show cold in "This Nearly Was Mine".
The performances by Kimura and Saldivar, in particular, are SO good in this cast that they almost steal the show from the magnetic Cusack.

I'd be interested in hearing from others who have seen both the Broadway cast (or PBS) and the current touring cast.

Here are the unanimous rave reviews from Toronto:

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/theatre/article/848208--south-pacific-soars-again?bn=1
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/south-pacific-musical-magic-is-made-again/article1674729/
http://www.nationalpost.com/arts/Robert+Cushman+South+Pacific+Love+loss+tensions+washed+ashore/3414876/story.html
http://www.torontosun.com/entertainment/stage/2010/08/16/15042996.html
http://www.eyeweekly.com/arts/theatre/article/99611--south-pacific
http://www.nowtoronto.com/daily/story.cfm?content=176313

It's playing in Toronto until Sept 5! If you're anywhere close, it's worth a visit...

[uncageg]

As a whole, I enjoyed the touring production more. It wasn't as "dark" as the Broadway production. At first I wasn't totally impressed with Szot but he grew on me. I loved David Pittsinger as Emile. What a voice. I also have to say I enjoyed Danny Burstein better than Saldivar as Billis, although they were both good. Here is what I had to say about the touring production's opening night in Denver. I tried not to gush too much but....:

http://denver.broadwayworld.com/article/Review_National_Touring_Company_South_Pacific_20100724

[byebyebaby12]

Matthew Saldivar was my favorite in the cast. Really made the part his own.

[dramamama611]

It's pretty hard to compare a live performance (the one where you are IN the theater) to something you watch on tv. They don't compare.

[byebyebaby12]

Same can go for movies.

[uncageg]

drama, to a degree you are correct. But I still feel the same way about the two.

byebye, I just wanted to snatch Saldivar up and take him home!

[eatlasagna]

oh when did keala settle leave the show? i loved her performance as Bloody Mary...

and i wasn't a fan of matthew saldivar... i just didn't like his take on the character... but i loved him in The Wedding Singer! haha

[byebyebaby12]

Me too! I was hoping he would be in the lobby collecting for Broadway Cares but he wasn't. I really loved his dynamic with Nellie.

I thought Carmen was good but she seemed a little too sophisticated for Nellie.

[uncageg]

Keala must have left after Denver. She was here.

I enjoyed Carmen but after seeing O'Hara, I think Carmen was a bit too "animated". JMO

[canmark]

I only saw the PBS version of the Broadway cast, but in general I preferred the tour cast (which I saw in Toronto). I loved Matthew Saldivar's Billis. I appreciated that Carmen Cusack put a lot of acting into her singing. And while Paolo Szot is more physically appealing (and has a wonderful tone to his voice), Jason Howard does well in a more expected way. I preferred Anderson Davis's Cable (Samonsky had a bit too much swagger), and found Jodi Kimura's Bloody Mary less dark than Loretta Ables Sayre (although I do confess I love most of all Juanita Hall). Also preferred the Brackett and Harbison on tour.

I also think that not much was lost in staging the show for a proscenium stage, as opposed to the thrust stage of the Vivien Beaumont. It may have seemed a bit crowded at times, but I appreciated that they didn't scrimp on the scenery.

[Mildred Plotka]

I thought Matthew Saldivar portrayed Billis as if he were Kevin Federline. I hated his performance both times I saw it.

Loved the rest of the tour cast. Especially the Nellie and the Cable.

[MrBundles]

I saw the show on Broadway in July 08 and on tour in Feb of this year, and comparing the performances I saw, I enjoyed the tour MUCH more.

I particularly liked Keala Settle.

[Citygirl.grace]

Call me crazy, and don't get me wrong, I loved ALL the Nellies, But my favorite had to be Laura Osnes. Her voice and acting was sensational, and I she brought that young/naiveness to the role that (I believe) Nellie should have. I thought she was the perfect age, look, voice, talent, and everything. I even got to meet her. She is the sweetest person ever!!

[eatlasagna]

you know.. despite enjoying some performances more than another's... i just feel that the casting for the tour and broadway have been excellent... replacements and all

[Steve2]

I am not going to compare, however I would say that the tour of "South Pacific" was probably the highest quality I have ever seen.

[mallardo]

Agree about Laura Osnes. She was absolutely wonderful.

[PauloFanClem]

I won't compare one from another, but 3 times I watched Paulo and his performance the PBS recording, in my opinion, is the best! A new approach to the character, a much deeper reading. Paulo is more loosen than 2 years ago, and "This Nearly Was Mine" is no longer a voice showcase (though previously he already had sparks of his acting talent put in it) but an acting piece! Beautiful transitions in it, full of emotion! Not to mention his eyes have drama inside. Act 1 finale especially shows that Paulo has transformed himself into an actor! His angst along his fear mixed perfectly in him expressions!

[Elphaba3]

I guess I'm in the minority because I thought the tour cast was disappointing. The only exceptions were Anderson Davis as Cable and Kate Fahrner, who was on as Nellie when I saw it. She especially was wonderful. Acting-wise, even better than Kelli O'Hara. The Broadway cast was sublime.

[traveler2]

I agree with you Elphaba3. The touring cast was fine, but the broadway cast was spectacular. I did not cry during the touring performance at all. The Broadway performance had me sniffling during the entr'acte. I don't like to compare different casts because it's unfair to the hard working actors but this Broadway cast was just so special.

[Mattbrain]

Didn't see the tour so I can't really compare. However, I didn't hate Andrew Samonsky as much as I thought I would. I thought he actually gave a pretty good performance.

[PauloFanClem]

I agree with Elphaba and traveler. I haven't watched the tour cast actually, so I said I won't compare. I think "special" is the word to describe the Broadway cast though, because of the casting. Why they need to cast Emile for over a year is because they just need to find the perfect person for such a role, a charming foreign operatic baritone who is capable to act out the depth of the role, and it's fate in my opinion that they found Paulo. I'm thankful that they have introduced us such a handsome opera singer with star quality who puts acting in the first place, willing to push himself to become an actor who sings (read the articles about him in NY Times and Opera News)! I'm not saying the tour cast is bad, but as long as I read the interviews about the show, Paulo is just much more special on preparing the role, and he did come out spectacularly! The PBS recording is his best I've ever seen. I don't think any other people have sung "This Nearly Was Mine" in such a way: with power but fear, with loneliness and desperation in his eyes, with the feeling of hopelessness, and with agony at the end of the piece. I think he actually had dig the script over and over again in the past 2 years to find the role and to come up such much more powerful performance than before! I so hope that he will do La Cage, but as I know, he is going to be packed with operas in the coming year , though all big roles.