South Pacific Still Delivers

Let me start off by saying if you live in the Red Bank area and still haven’t seen a Phoenix Productions performance, shame on you. These guys are good, extremely good. Their slogan, “Broadway in the ‘Burbs” is no exaggeration. Their productions are full scale, high quality performances for generally more than half the cost of a Broadway play.

Their latest production, the 1949 classic South Pacific, opened Friday night to a packed house. Although the original premiered more than 60 years ago, the message of the play and its timeless music are still relevant. 

The musical combines all of the elements needed for a timeless story: romance, war, race, and of course, love told from the point of view of ‘everyday’ people thrust into extraordinary circumstances.

The plot follows the story of Nellie Forbush, a young American nurse stationed far away from home during World War II who falls for Emile de Becque, an expatriate French plantation owner with two mixed race children from a previous marriage to a Polynesian girl.

Simultaneously, the plot unveils the story of Lt. Joseph Cable, a Marine who falls in love with a “native” Polynesian girl. The issue of race is explored throughout the play as the romantic relationships force Nellie and Cable to deal with their own hidden racial prejudices’.

Samantha Penick makes her Phoenix debut in a captivating performance as Nellie Forbush. Penick channels the naïve, gentle hearted nature that is essential to Nellie’s character.  

It would be easy to write Nellie of as just a simple young girl, but that is far from the truth. In fact, Nellie’s character dives into what it’s like to be a young woman from a small town unleashed in the complexity of the world. She must face the reality that sometimes the heart wants what it wants, which creates a challenge to a long held set of beliefs that she may not have even realized she was harboring.

Penick does an excellent job of following Nellie’s transformations throughout the play. She evokes the naivety essential to Nellie during the performance of A Cockeyed Optimist, and channels the girlish joy and innocence that is the core of her character.  

Emile is brought to life by Martin Grubman, a veteran Phoenix performer. Grubman portrays Emile as  a strong, yet shy man who knows that life is made up of moments. These are not easy qualities to bring to life, but Grubman emits an effortless self confidence and romanticism that was the core of Emile’s personality.

Another delight on the stage was Tammy McKillip, who portrayed Blood Mary. She weaves together philosophical wisdom and sassy one liners to create the loveably mysterious personality that is Bloody Mary. 

South Pacific is known for having one of the most memorable and popular soundtracks on any Broadway show, and the Phoenix performance did not disappoint in this department. Most engaging were the ensemble songs, when the commanding voices of the entire cast echoed through the theater. Most memorable was There is Nothin’ Like a Dame and I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Out-A- My Hair.

South Pacific is more than just love, romance, and great music. It takes us on a journey from the simple, “known” world of love and romance to the deeper side of reality—a place where one must face their tightly guarded beliefs and be challenged to change them. The message that love can breakthrough boundaries in order to create a more compassionate society is one that still resonates today as strongly as it did when South Pacific first took to the stage in 1949.

South Pacific will be at the September 23rd, 24th and 25th. For tickets, visit countbasie.org.