My thoughts on SOUTH PACIFIC- Page 3

[HOUFlip04]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 10:55am

So how are Noah Weisberg and Victor Hawks as Professor and Stewpot? How are the kids (Ngana and Jerome)? How is Helmar Augustus as Henry the butler? Come on guys, supporting roles are just as important.

Also, have you noticed the lack of Asian/Pacific Islander men in this production? In general, has anyone noticed the lack of Asian/PI men on Broadway right now? You can count them on one hand currently.

Updated On: 3/14/08 at 10:55 AM

[aliciag]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 11:04am

I thought the kids (Ngana and Jerome) were absolutely adorable. Especially during the opening in their song which I am not even going to try to spell.

And I did notice the lack of Asian men. I also noticed that during There is Nothing Like a Dame the three black seamen were separated from the rest of the sailors, joined them for a chorus, and then went back to being separated. Anyone else notice this?

But yeah, I thought the supporting roles were great!

[jeffrey1dog]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 11:18am

The kids were cute, the butler is barely in it at all. And all through the 1st act I kept thinking that the captain looked so much like Skipp Suduth (but much fatter) duh - it was Skipp Suduth. I didn't have a chance to look at the Playbill before the show. His performance was a bit brash & he tripped going up the stairs when I saw the show on Tuesday.
The only male supporting player (other than Morrison) that really stood out to me was Danny Burstein... he was hysterical.

[MovieGuy1031]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 11:38am

SO disappointed I can't see this!

Although i'd rather see 'Gypsy' with LaLuPone anyday.

Posted: 3/14/08 at 11:46am

Full frontal male nudity in South Pacific? Josh Logan would be dancing in his grave.

Seriously, really? Why in the world?

[jrb]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 11:48am

There isn't full frontal - they cover themselves. Small (or not-so-small) distinction, but worth noting.
There's been contention as to the validity of that addition in other threads.

Posted: 3/14/08 at 12:35pm

South Pacific has always been a "BeefCake" show but really, nudity of any sort seems a bit much.

[jrb]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 12:50pm

As I say, there's a whole discussion about this topic.
It's right before the "Wash that man" scene. It acts as a transitional thing. The boys come out of the stalls and are bashful and run away while the girls holler at them, jokingly.
Blink and you miss it.
Unnecessary? - maybe, but it was approved by the Rogers and Hammerstein Organization and several family members, so if can't be all that bad, right?

[HOUFlip04]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 2:08pm

aliciag,

Thanks for your interesting feedback. Sounds like they are keeping with the non-PC view of the times when the show is set? By the way, love your pic with Norm Lewis. He is truly one of the nicest men on Broadway.

Sad how this thread reverted back to the male nudity discussion again. I see where some peoples priorities are.

Updated On: 3/14/08 at 02:08 PM

[keen on kean]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 2:27pm

I noticed the separate placement of black sailors and white sailors, too, and saw it as dramatically and (unfortunately) historically sound. If I am remembering correctly, the armed forces were not integrated until Harry Truman's time - 1948, I think. I noticed it during "You've Got to Be Taught," which is kind of the point.

The brief nudity was handled well, I thought. I got a kick out of it because I was surrounded by a large chaperoned group of 11 year olds, so you know the teachers were going to get a lot of parental phone calls Wednesday night! The group was beautifully behaved, by the way - kudos to their school and their teachers for raising such ladies and gentlemen. And they loved the show, too.

[jrb]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 2:28pm

I was just responding to the comment, HOUFlip04. My mind is in no way stuck on that one part of the show.
Why is it that people cannot say anything on this board without drawing at least a few caustic responses? Makes it feel a little unsafe to participate.

Oh, here's an interesting tid bit - they actually segregated the cast whenever on stage so as to further the authenticity of the whole thing. No men and women together, no black seabees with white seabees. People hung out together on breaks, of course, but they were intent on keeping things as authentic as possible whenever on stage. Talk about method.

[lildogs]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 2:31pm

That's also probably why you don't see any Asian actors in the ensemble...

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 2:57pm

Mary Martin was a character actress and (primarily) a comedienne.

I love Kelli O'Hara, but she's neither.

For film, you can "tone down" and cast someone more realistic (as when they used Julie Andrews, who is a leading lady and not a comedienne) for the film of Sound of Music.

But this is stage. And you need the bigness, theatricality, and larger-than-life characters, or it's just too "ordinary."

I can understand the comments I'm reading here.

Updated On: 3/14/08 at 02:57 PM

[HOUFlip04]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 3:07pm

jrb,

My apologies, I wasn't directing that at you. I know you were only responding.

Yes, no Asian male actors in the ensemble, but Henry, Emile's native butler, is usually played by an Asian/PI male and in this production is played by an African-American actor. I'm guessing they didn't want to pay one actor to do a small featured role only and not participate in the ensemble.

[lildogs]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 3:21pm

Savin' some dough...

[HOUFlip04]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 3:22pm

Join in everyone...It's a business!!!

[jrb]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 3:23pm

With an ensemble of 40 and a pit of 30, can you blame them? They'd have to trade in the on-stage airplane. lol

[keen on kean]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 3:26pm

best12bars - I was trying to figure out why Kelli O'Hara didn't work as Nellie Forbush (for me, anyway) and I think you have hit the nail on the head. I thought she played the part as too sweet and lady-like. If she really is a "hick," she should have some rough edges. "I'm in Love with a Wonderful Guy" is the song of an outspoken tomboy, not a delicate love song. I think Mary Martin may have left a more indelible imprint on the part for me than I realized (although I only have the OBC recording and clips on that site to go by).
Updated On: 3/14/08 at 03:26 PM

[HOUFlip04]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 3:35pm

Or just hire an Asian/Pacific Islander actor who can pass for both. Are there any Hispanic seabees? If so, how did they segregate them?

[jrb]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 3:39pm

No, I don't think their are any in the cast of Seabees.

[HOUFlip04]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 4:44pm

I guess they weren't going for that AEA Diversity Award. :)

[Spirit-of-the-City]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 8:36pm

Although there were exceptions, there were only a few Asian-Americans fighting for the Allies in the Pacific - it makes sense that there wouldn't be any on this island in the South Pacific. As someone noted, even the black navvies stayed segregated from the rest.

And for those who wonder why Brian Stokes Mitchell wasn't cast as Emile deBeque - the whole story is about racism. Casting a person of color in that role would be akin to casting a white man in the Sidney Poitier role in "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner." The whole story revolves around the mixed-race metaphor of Emile and the mother of his children. When racism is the theme, how can the director (Sher) use colorblind casting?

[jeffrey1dog]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 8:50pm

I did say to my friend on the way out that I thought Kelli O'Hara was good and has a great voice, but I think she'd be better in flims or TV because she has no stage presence.
It seems most people here have confirmed that also.

[spidey_882]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 9:23pm

...there were only a few Asian-Americans fighting for the Allies in the Pacific - it makes sense that there wouldn't be any on this island in the South Pacific.

Actually, there were over 120,000 Filipino allied soldiers who fought in WWII (several of my family members included) on the Pacific front, many of whom were also Americans or went on to become Americans.

Updated On: 3/14/08 at 09:23 PM

[keen on kean]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 10:58pm

Spidey - you are right. There was also eventually a company of Americans of Japanese descent who fought in the Pacific campaigns.