BWW Reviews - SOUTH PACIFIC Feels 'South Pathetic'

Based on the Lincoln Center Theater Production; music by Richard Rodgers; lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II; book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan; adapted from "Tales of the Pacific" by James A. Michener; original sets, Michael Yeargan; costumes, Catherine Zuber; lighting, Donald Holder; sound, Scott Lehrer; additional sets and adaptation, Mikiko Suzuki MacAdams; hair and makeup design, Gerry Alterburg; music director, Richard Dunn II; music supervisor, Ted Sperling; musical staging recreated by Joe Langworth; musical staging by Christopher Gattelli; direction recreated by Sarna Lapine; original direction, Bartlett Sher

Cast of characters:

Ensign Nellie Forbush, Katie Reid; Emile de Becque, Marcelo Guzzo; Ngana, his daughter, Judae'a Brown; Jerome, his son, Cole Bullock; Henry, Ariel Padilla; Bloody Mary, Cathy Foy-Mahi; Liat, her daughter, Hsin-Yu Liao; Bloody Mary's Assistants, Hannah Bautista, Jessica Naimy and Angela Travino; Luther Billis, Christian Marriner; Stewpot (Carpenter's Mate Second Class, George Watts), Erik Cheski; Professor, Jake Bridges; Lt. Joseph Cable, United States Marine Corps, Shane Donovan; Capt. George Brackett, United States Navy, Robert John Biedermann; Cmdr. William Harbison, United States Navy, James Bould; Lt. Buzz Adams, Ben Mayne; Yeoman Herber Quale, Sailor, Michael Jayne Walker; Radio Operator Bob McCaffrey, Sailor, Royce McIntosh; Morton Wise, Seabee, James Erickson; Johnny Noonan, Seabee, Tripp Hampton; Tom O'Brien, Sailor, Jay Frisby; James Hayes, Sailor, Ariel Padilla; Kenneth Johnson, Sailor, Sheldon Henry; Petty Officer Hamilton Steeves, Matt Patrick; Marine Staff Sgt. Thomas Hassinger, Andrew Mauney; Lt. Eustis Carmichael, Shore Patrolman, Matt Patrick; Lt. Genevieve Marshall, lead nurse, Laura Pavles; Ensign Dinah Murphy, Rachel Rhodes-Devey; Ensign Connie Walewska, Samantha Berman; Enign Sue Yaeger, Jenny Piersol; Ensign Cora MacRae, Jessica Naimy

Performances: Now through October 2, Broadway in Boston, Boston Opera House, 539 Washington Street; tickets starting at $33 available at the Box Office Monday through Friday 10 am to 5 pm, through Ticketmaster at 800-982-2787, or online at www.BroadwayinBoston.com.

Something has gone very wrong from New York to Boston for the 2008 Tony Award-winning revival of South Pacific. What on Broadway was called "rapturous" by the New York Times is here - on the first leg of a new national tour - listless, aimless, and uninspired. Perhaps the entire cast and creative team swallowed a handful of the motion-sickness pills that the show's career opportunist Luther Billis tries to sell to his shipmates. How else to explain the complete lack of motion, either physical or emotional, in this turgid and tepid "reimagining" of what should be a grandly epic and romantic classic?

Jan Nargi is owner and creative director of JMN Publications, a marketing and public relations firm based in Boston, Mass. She provides consultation, communications, and writing services to clients in the health care, entertainment, financial, retail, manufacturing, non-profit, and sports industries. As a freelance writer, Jan has had hundreds of articles published in business and high-tech magazines. Theatrically, she has reviewed, written, directed, acted, produced, sung, danced, managed publicity, pounded nails, and designed lighting and sets. Jan has even acted in the occasional B-movie, playing a zombie, a psycho shrink, and a clueless news reporter. You may visit her on the web at www.jmnpublications.com.

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