Live from Lincoln Center (TV Series) South Pacific (2010) User Reviews

Great Performance

[kmullen-4 · 10/10 · 21 September 2010]

This taped stage production of South Pacific was moving and delightful, while at the same time depicting and delivering a timeless and universal struggle and message from several cultural points of view. The main actors were excellent in their roles – musically and theatrically. Good chemistry and interpretations of the two couples brought the true meaning of the story full front. The characters of Billis and Bloody Mary were well done too, with the humor well-balanced against the more serious elements of the story and characters.

I found that the additions and deletions, and some re-organization of story elements of the movie adaptations (1958 and 2001) changed some of the meaning, message and subtlety that the original play actually contains. Though I respect these versions, as many found that the story of South Pacific clicked for them in these versions, for me, I fell in love with the musical with this staged version.

Ms. O'Hara's interpretation of Nellie is complete and compliments completely Mr. Szot's. All the music numbers are, to my perception, intact, excellent in design and execution, and deserving of the awards that it received. I was impressed by the quick and smooth transitions between scenes and set changes. There also seemed to have a thread of consistency between the music and the acting. All the magic of the theater! I very much enjoyed the deserved applause when it came! It would be nice to have the DVD come out, though the CD of the music numbers is available.

South Pacifc: You won't find better theatre than this!

[glasgowgordy · 10/10 · 17 March 2012]

It may come as a surprise to some. But even a theatre goer in Glasgow, Scotland, UK knows of the Lincoln Centre and indeed has seen this televised transmission of South Pacific through the medium of you tube. In addition I have, thus far, seen the live touring version of South Pacific 4 times in Glasgow in November 2011 and am about to see it again in Edinburgh in April 2012. I would concur with all the previous reviews but can only add 2 things. One is that having a love of theatre means that on many a night you leave feeling uplifted and perhaps wiser for the event. Never more so that when leaving after watching South Pacific. You won't find a better night at the theatre than this... in my humble opinion. Secondly and lastly, why oh why do we not have a DVD available to purchase of this televised event, reviews tell us it was THAT good so surely a DVD with worldwide appeal could be produced. I honestly believe fans from all over the world WOULD buy it. I even emailed the TV company who didn't bother to reply. So this is for me the very best in theatre production. Cleverly funny, yet with very serious overtones contained in a lively and beautifully crafted and toned musical. Pure magic!

A Perfect Production

[billk51 · 10/10 · 10 July 2018]

Principal New York Times theater critic Ben Brantley wrote in his original review of this production that, "I know we're not supposed to expect perfection in this imperfect world, but I'm darned if I can find one serious flaw in this production."

That sums it up for me. It's unfortunate, not to mention very confusing, that Live From Lincoln Center never released a DVD, but thousands made perfectly legal recordings of the broadcast on their DVRs, and it shouldn't be too hard to find a copy.

A Classic!

[vermontfudge · 23 August 2010]

The previous reviewer is incorrect, "Stranger in Paradise" is from Kismet not South Pacific and Paulo Szot's warm, rich baritone was never inaudible in this wonderful production. Szot won the Tony for Best Actor in a Musical and this terrific production won 7 Tonys, the most a musical revival has ever won. Both Kelli O'Hara, who captured the essence of Nellie Forbush from "Small Rock," and Loretta Ables Sayre, who showed the dark desperate side of Bloody Mary, were also nominated for Tonys. O'Hara and Szot were a great romantic pairing, and I thought both their acting and singing far surpassed that of Mitzi Gaynor and Rosanno Brazzi, paired in the 1958 movie. This production just seemed to flesh out the characters and their situation, it's serious and moving.

It's great to hear a really big orchestra performing that sweeping music, the sound and production values seem to me to be near perfect, amazing considering it's a live performance. Heart felt performances from all, superb voices do justice to the timeless songs.

This production brought South Pacific back to life, I'm just sorry Lincoln Center's unwillingness to release DVD's or to allow PBS stations to air the show again will prevent others from experiencing this tremendous version of the classic musical. Considering all the dubbing in the movie version and the color experimentation that went awry, this is THE version of the musical that should be available to everybody. Come on PBS and Lincoln Center, let us see it!

(link to the Tony Awards page is in a message on the board)

As fine as the original, and that is very special indeed

[william-keating1 · 10/10 · 3 February 2015]

This 2008 production of South Pacific, billed as the first Broadway revival, opened to universal acclaim and ran for over two years. Ben Brantley, chief theater critic of the New York Times, called it the closest to perfect musical that he had ever seen.

There are always some dissenters around, which I suppose is better than having complete unanimity all the time. But, although Mary Martin and Mitzi Gaynor were wonderful performers and fine Nellies, Kelli O'Hara does not play second or third fiddle to anyone. To say that she has limited range is to show one's ignorance: she has a degree in opera and was the pupil of noted voice instructor Florence Birdwell. Some years after this role Ms. O'Hara made her Metropolitan Opera House debut in the operetta The Merry Widow to good reviews.

This South Pacific was performed in the Vivian Beaumont theater with a twenty nine piece orchestra playing the original arrangements. The night that I saw it was my finest experience in a theater.

I don't know why no DVD was released even after five years had passed. I believe that those that control Live from Lincoln Center want to keep the productions truly live when viewed. There may have been issues over royalties.

But now that television programs can be taped in high quality on DVRs, there no longer seems much reason not to issue a DVD and make some money.

How to revive a nearly 60 year old show and make it still work.

[mark.waltz · 10/10 · 17 July 2017]

If there was a market for bringing Broadway shows into the living room, then this is a grade A example of how they should be filmed. Practically the entire original cast of this Tony winning revival got the chance to be seen outside the confines of the theater district in Manhattan, and the results are phenomenal. In under 20 years, Kelli O'Hara has gone from chorus girl in "Follies" to featured player in several musicals to today's answer to Mary Martin and Barbara Cook. Unless a miracle occurs and movie musicals increase their output, her home is Broadway, and the Big Apple is not letting go, easily.

Handsome Paszlo Spott is the sexiest Emile de Becque whom I have ever seen, using his glorious operatic voice to seduce the audience into becoming the emotional core of this revival. The love story between Nellie and Emile is very identifiable in that true love always needs to overcome serious differences, and in the case of Nellie, it's her deeply embedded prejudices that can make her adore two children of a mixed race marriage, but fearful of what others would think if she were to agree to become their stepmother. Spott utilizes sweet patience and quiet frustration to emotionally express his character's turmoil.

The replacement for Matthew Morrison (Andrew Samonsky) has a difficult task, but there's no such thing as a week replacement on Broadway. He's more believable in being portraying a pilot, and even more virile. His own prejudices explode with a love that can't be explored with a lovely Polynesian girl, the daughter of the sassy Bloody Mary (Loretta Ables), a dark souled character that I've only liked when played by Juanita Hall (don't get me started on the characterization in the Glenn Close TV version), yet Ables interjects a few subtleties to make her more tolerable. Danny Burnstein is a riot as Luther, Seabee clown, and steals every moment that he was on stage. His success as Tevye in a recent revival of "Fiddler on the Roof" makes him a shoo-in for the Tony one day that has eluded him at least four times.

This is the first official revival of "South Pacific" that Broadway ever had (with several limited runs at City Center and one longer run at Lincoln Center's State Theater (starring Florence Henderson and Giorgio Tozzi), a non-Broadway entity during its day) that did get a cast recording. Fears of how it could be considered dated were proved false because of the issues of subtle racism that is still a hot topic today. With the world facing wars over issues of non- tolerance, what "South Pacific" stands for now seems almost even more potent and thus an important topic for conversation.

Still waiting

[fubared1 · 6/10 · 25 April 2012]

While it is great to see a full-scale live production of this musical, I must confess it stills leaves me cold. Alan Alda keeps talking about himself and the audience weeping through the performance and I can only wonder why. Kelli O'Hara manages well as Nelli, but I find her performance strictly one-dimensional, but then, this is Oscar Hammerstein not Eugene O'Neill so one can hardly expect depth of character in the writing. Paul Szot manages to 'act' better than most opera singers, only now we have a Brazilian playing a Frenchman, rather than an Italian, so the accent is unconvincing. Loretta Ables brings out a dark, demonic side to Bloody Mary, but then when she sings she sounds like your average Broadway belter, and when she shouts she is virtually unintelligible. Andrew Samonsky is your average 'pretty boy with no depth', and his singing voice is not kind to the sensitive ear and made me cringe. In the end one wishes they could have filmed it in a studio so more subtlety could be brought out in the performances. But then again this is Rodgers and Hammerstein so we can hardly expect subtlety, just the usual sledge-hammer morality.

Where Was the Enchantment of this South Pacific Production? **1/2

[edwagreen · 22 August 2010]

Very disappointing show where Kelli O'Hara and Paolo Szot sing the leads of Nellie F. and Emile de Bec in Rogers and Hammerstein's "South Pacific."

This version is totally lacking in luster from the previous renditions of a great American classic. The applause by the audience serves more as a disruptive force in the production.

Miss O'Hara lacks the range of Mary Martin and Mitzi Gaynor, both of whom shone in the part as the conflicted southern nurse.

Ditto for Szot. His voice was inaudible throughout most of his rendition of Stranger in Paradise.

Who was this woman who portrayed Bloody Mary? She prances around in baggy pants and lacks the total zest as the woman who bartered and sold to exist and tried to bring happiness to her daughter.

The saving grace to any production of "South Pacific" is the theme of racism which was well used here.

Kudos to the guy who portrayed the doomed Joe Cable, who loved Bloody Mary's daughter but knew that society would never accept such a marriage. While his death intervened between the two, we know that love ultimately prevails as Emile and Nellie hold hands at the end of the show.