NRR Project: 'South Pacific' (1949)

 

NRR Project: “South Pacific”

Composed by Richard Rodgers; lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

Performed by the original Broadway cast

Recorded 1949

1 hr., 4 min.

Read Laurence Maslon’s excellent essay on the recording’s history here, at the National Recording Registry.

Once Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! became a hit in 1943, they continued their long run of successful shows with the offerings Carousel (1945) and Allegro (1947). They then snared the rights to James Michener’s collection of Tales of the South Pacific, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1948. Working with director and co-writer Josh Logan, Hammerstein crafted two interlocking tales – both dealing with racial prejudice. Addressing a serious topic was a new direction for American musicals, which were usually escapist romps.

The musical is set in title location, during World War II. Ensign Nellie Forbush, a Navy nurse (played by Mary Martin), meets and falls in love with a French planter, Emile DeBeque (operatic bass Ezio Pinza). She wants to be with him, but she is leery of the fact that he has mixed-race children from a previous marriage to a native woman. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Joe Cable (William Tabbert) falls for Liat, a native girl. However, he realizes his family would never accept her as his wife. The prejudice that the Americans are steeped in prevent them from finding happiness.

Of course, all this happens in the context of  a musical – and the songs are some of the best R & H ever wrote – “Some Enchanted Evening,” “Bali Hai,” “I’m In Love with a Wonderful Guy,” “Younger Than Springtime,” “Happy Talk,” and on and on. The musical was a smash hit, ran for years, and inspired many successful pop covers.

The National Recording Registry Project tracks one writer’s expedition through all the recordings in the National Recording Registry in chronological order. Next time: ‘Sweet Georgia Brown’.