South Pacific Review
From the opening line to the closing scene, South Pacific does an excellent job of making you feel as though you are witnessing actual scenes from World War II. The musical follows several lead characters and their trials and tribulations and like any good plot, the different storylines eventually converge and affect each other. The story is full of typical 1940’s style issues, there is the quintessential, simple, girl next door who is exposed to the real world, there is the loud-mouth, smart-aleck enlisted man who is always concocting a new scheme, as well as the hotshot soldier with his degree from an Ivy-League school.They each go through their own conflicts but a recurring theme is that of acceptance of others. There are several instances where prejudices get in the way of relationships and this represents a truth of American society at this time.
The two central plots are inextricably inked to racism and its effects on the hearts of the couples involved. All of these issues are set upon the backdrop of the high-tension environment of the South Pacific warzone during World War II. This was a time of great stress and uncertainty and this musical does well to express the difficult nature of this period in history. Trying to establish relationships with the knowledge that tomorrow all hell can break loose is not exactly a recipe for success and you will not be able to forget that the war is an ever-present factor in this story.
In the midst of all of this excellent plot development, let us not forget that this is indeed a musical and it does not disappoint. The songs are original and you can still feel the presence of Rodgers and Hammerstein in the lyrics. The cast does a good job with the vocals and you will be drawn in to the music and the messages that it tries to convey. For those of you who are hoping for some levity not to worry, there are moments of genuine humor that serves as a release of sorts from the not so humorous situation. There is a solid-cast as well as excellent set design. The only real gripe that I had was with the ending (which I will not give away) where I felt that there was a certain lack of closure. I believe that certain elements earlier in the show could have been removed to make room for some more detail towards the end. I will leave you to your own conclusions about that. Overall this is an excellent show but I would caution you that this is not a show to go to if all you want is the flash of Broadway; it does not have the grandiose effects but it makes up for it with style and substance. South Pacific will not disappoint those of you who can appreciate its classic value.
