South Pacific
|
29th November - 3rd December 2016Director: Martine Young
Musical Director: Ian Peters Choreographer: Lorraine Landon CastEnsign Nellie Forbush - Claire Leonard
Emile De Becque - Lee Power Lieutenant Joseph Cable - Johnathan Payne Luther Billis - Danny Kendrick Bloody Mary - Jennifer Bye Liat - Claire Gray Captain Brackett - Brian Higgs Cammander Harbison - Richard Lee Dinah Murphy - Harriet Langdown Henrietta - June Saich |
Blue Team
Jerome - Gabriel
Ngana - Cordelia
Ngana - Cordelia
Green Team
Jerome - Evan
Ngana - Jade
Ngana - Jade
Sailors, Seabees and Marines
Iain Cannell, Bob Noble, Lewis Padgett, James Palmer, Mark Turvill & Peter White
Nurses
Joan Cannell, Esther Harding, Jenny Jordan, Pamela Lee, Angela Springett & Janet Turner
NODA Review
South Pacific’ is possibly the best known of all the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals and, judging by the meagre number of empty seats on the evening I attended, it remains as popular as it ever was. There is nothing I can add to Martine’s comprehensive account regarding the background of the story. It deals with difficult issues -which thank goodness are out of date now.
It was first staged in 1949 at the Majestic Theatre New York where it ran for 1925 performances and then at the Drury Lane Theatre London in 1951 with a shorter run of 802 performances. It won eight Tony Awards including best musical, but apart from ‘Bali hai’ there is no South Sea flavour to the musical score.
The scene was set attractively during the overture, and the first number, ‘Dites-moi’ with the two children was utterly charming. It’s not clear in the programme which children were performing on the different nights but the ones I saw had such composure for young children and were clearly very well rehearsed. Gold stars are in order I think!
As Nellie, Claire Leonard gave a good performance and she acted all her songs brilliantly, although I felt that vocally she was more at home in the upbeat numbers. ‘Wash That Man’ was notable and ‘Honey Bun’ especially so. We saw the softer side of Nellie but not so much of the feisty side.
Lee gave a first rate performance. He played an Emile who was tentative at times and yet strong when he needed to be – a most sympathetic and likeable character and it was easy to see why Nellie would fall for him.
Jonathan Payne was credible as the young Lieutenant Joseph Cable and although his voice is not the strongest he came across well. ‘You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught’ was the most suited to his vocal ability. The scene with Liat in the bedroom was unambiguous in it’s intent but was not at all distasteful, however I did feel that in ‘Nothing Like A Dame’ the thrusting movement from Mark on the word ‘relief’ was out of place and certainly not of it’s time. That gesture has come into being far more recently than the 1940’s!
Jen Bye looked very much the part in the role of Bloody Mary and she gave a good performance as the hard-bitten but engaging Islander/ wheeler-dealer who was prepared to sell her own daughter. She put across her songs and her acting was strong.
Claire Gray was suitably submissive as her daughter Liat but has little to say in that role, and her opportunity to express herself is by using her hands elegantly and delicately in the song ‘Happy Talk’. Unusually there were no hand movements choreographed to involve her in the scene.
In the role of Captain Brackett Brian Higgs had authority and played the part convincingly and Richard supported him soundly as his second in command.
As Billis, the American Navy’s answer to Bloody Mary, Danny Kendrick gave an enthusiastic and confident performance - and I liked his biography in the programme. It’s nice to read something other than the usual list of credits.
June was gentle but firm as Henrietta and the chorus work was, as always, commendable. The ladies coped proficiently with Lorraine Landon’s choreography, which was interesting and varied in its style. I particularly enjoyed the nurses’ Soft Shoe Dance.
The orchestra was well balanced and Ian Peters controlled the musicians beautifully. They never overpowered the underscored dialogue -- which was an absolute treat! ‘Wash That Man’ was a really good number as was ‘Nothing Like A Dame’.
On the technical front the lighting was very good and enhanced the various changes of scene and mood but the sound was not always balanced. Personal mikes were sometimes late and the quieter voices needed lifting to match the ones who were stronger.
Set design was good and the abundance of greenery/flowers on stage enforced the feeling of a South Sea Island. The office and Emile’s house, both set on the thrusts stage right and left worked really well and had adequate space for the action that took place. Properties were well thought out and appropriate for the piece.
Costumes were good, if a little tight on some of the ladies, and the men’s uniforms were very smart. There were some discrepancies in the overall presentation costume wise which could have been easily remedied. Only one lady had seams on her stockings/legs at the opening and they would all have worn seamed stockings. In the beach scene there was a variety of tights worn with shorts and if tights are to be worn it would be good for everyone to wear more or less the same colour. One person was in shiny dance tights that were a deep tan colour, and all the ladies could have worn a shirt on the beach.
Most of the cast managed to maintain their accents throughout the show - some started well but eased a little as the show progressed - and all appeared to be enjoying themselves immensely.
Martine’s solid direction along with the musical director and choreographer’s sterling contributions made for an enjoyable, colourful and thought provoking entertainment. Overall I thought the production was well presented but perhaps some of the reprises could have been cut as it was rather lengthy.
Front of house were attentive to the audience and your programme is as always well designed and set out.
Thank you for inviting me to see this perennial pleaser and for your hospitality on the evening, and may I wish everyone at WWAOS a very happy Christmas and a healthy 2017.
E. Gloria Smith
NODA South East Regional Representative – District 12
It was first staged in 1949 at the Majestic Theatre New York where it ran for 1925 performances and then at the Drury Lane Theatre London in 1951 with a shorter run of 802 performances. It won eight Tony Awards including best musical, but apart from ‘Bali hai’ there is no South Sea flavour to the musical score.
The scene was set attractively during the overture, and the first number, ‘Dites-moi’ with the two children was utterly charming. It’s not clear in the programme which children were performing on the different nights but the ones I saw had such composure for young children and were clearly very well rehearsed. Gold stars are in order I think!
As Nellie, Claire Leonard gave a good performance and she acted all her songs brilliantly, although I felt that vocally she was more at home in the upbeat numbers. ‘Wash That Man’ was notable and ‘Honey Bun’ especially so. We saw the softer side of Nellie but not so much of the feisty side.
Lee gave a first rate performance. He played an Emile who was tentative at times and yet strong when he needed to be – a most sympathetic and likeable character and it was easy to see why Nellie would fall for him.
Jonathan Payne was credible as the young Lieutenant Joseph Cable and although his voice is not the strongest he came across well. ‘You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught’ was the most suited to his vocal ability. The scene with Liat in the bedroom was unambiguous in it’s intent but was not at all distasteful, however I did feel that in ‘Nothing Like A Dame’ the thrusting movement from Mark on the word ‘relief’ was out of place and certainly not of it’s time. That gesture has come into being far more recently than the 1940’s!
Jen Bye looked very much the part in the role of Bloody Mary and she gave a good performance as the hard-bitten but engaging Islander/ wheeler-dealer who was prepared to sell her own daughter. She put across her songs and her acting was strong.
Claire Gray was suitably submissive as her daughter Liat but has little to say in that role, and her opportunity to express herself is by using her hands elegantly and delicately in the song ‘Happy Talk’. Unusually there were no hand movements choreographed to involve her in the scene.
In the role of Captain Brackett Brian Higgs had authority and played the part convincingly and Richard supported him soundly as his second in command.
As Billis, the American Navy’s answer to Bloody Mary, Danny Kendrick gave an enthusiastic and confident performance - and I liked his biography in the programme. It’s nice to read something other than the usual list of credits.
June was gentle but firm as Henrietta and the chorus work was, as always, commendable. The ladies coped proficiently with Lorraine Landon’s choreography, which was interesting and varied in its style. I particularly enjoyed the nurses’ Soft Shoe Dance.
The orchestra was well balanced and Ian Peters controlled the musicians beautifully. They never overpowered the underscored dialogue -- which was an absolute treat! ‘Wash That Man’ was a really good number as was ‘Nothing Like A Dame’.
On the technical front the lighting was very good and enhanced the various changes of scene and mood but the sound was not always balanced. Personal mikes were sometimes late and the quieter voices needed lifting to match the ones who were stronger.
Set design was good and the abundance of greenery/flowers on stage enforced the feeling of a South Sea Island. The office and Emile’s house, both set on the thrusts stage right and left worked really well and had adequate space for the action that took place. Properties were well thought out and appropriate for the piece.
Costumes were good, if a little tight on some of the ladies, and the men’s uniforms were very smart. There were some discrepancies in the overall presentation costume wise which could have been easily remedied. Only one lady had seams on her stockings/legs at the opening and they would all have worn seamed stockings. In the beach scene there was a variety of tights worn with shorts and if tights are to be worn it would be good for everyone to wear more or less the same colour. One person was in shiny dance tights that were a deep tan colour, and all the ladies could have worn a shirt on the beach.
Most of the cast managed to maintain their accents throughout the show - some started well but eased a little as the show progressed - and all appeared to be enjoying themselves immensely.
Martine’s solid direction along with the musical director and choreographer’s sterling contributions made for an enjoyable, colourful and thought provoking entertainment. Overall I thought the production was well presented but perhaps some of the reprises could have been cut as it was rather lengthy.
Front of house were attentive to the audience and your programme is as always well designed and set out.
Thank you for inviting me to see this perennial pleaser and for your hospitality on the evening, and may I wish everyone at WWAOS a very happy Christmas and a healthy 2017.
E. Gloria Smith
NODA South East Regional Representative – District 12