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South Pacific
South Pacific has timeless magic, as evidenced by the seven Tony Awards for the latest production, including Best Musical Revival.
This deluxe souvenir songbook showcases the 2008 revival, with 11 full-color pages - including seven pages of production photos - plus an article by Ted Chapin, president of the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization.
Features piano/vocal arrangements of 13 songs from the beloved musical:
Bali Ha'i
Happy Talk
Honey Bun
I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair
Some Enchanted Evening
There Is Nothin' like a Dame
This Nearly Was Mine
A Wonderful Guy
Younger Than Springtime
and more!
This deluxe souvenir songbook showcases the 2008 revival, with 11 full-color pages - including seven pages of production photos - plus an article by Ted Chapin, president of the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization.
Features piano/vocal arrangements of 13 songs from the beloved musical:
Bali Ha'i
Happy Talk
Honey Bun
I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair
Some Enchanted Evening
There Is Nothin' like a Dame
This Nearly Was Mine
A Wonderful Guy
Younger Than Springtime
and more!
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1949
147 people want to read
About the author
Richard Rodgers
762 books14 followersRichard Charles Rodgers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979) was an American composer who worked primarily in musical theater.
With 43 Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers was one of the best-known American composers of the 20th century, and his compositions had a significant influence on popular music.
Richard Rodgers was in the inaugural group of Kennedy Center Honorees in 1978 for lifetime achievement in the arts.
In 1990, the 46th Street Theatre was renamed the Richard Rodgers Theatre in his memory.
With 43 Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers was one of the best-known American composers of the 20th century, and his compositions had a significant influence on popular music.
Richard Rodgers was in the inaugural group of Kennedy Center Honorees in 1978 for lifetime achievement in the arts.
In 1990, the 46th Street Theatre was renamed the Richard Rodgers Theatre in his memory.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 28, 2020
Listened to the songs while reading the libretto. Not much is happening and the story is not that groundbreaking as I expected. The songs are short and catchy somehow and yet I'm not that intrigued to ever see the musical live.
April 26, 2016
South Pacific has some truly beautiful songs. Seth MacFarlane’s recent version of "This Nearly Was Mine" is one such example of how well the songs work even outside of the musical. In fact, I’d say it’s the music that makes the show so memorable: even people who have never seen the musical or care much for musical theatre likely know some these tunes.
Take away the music, though, and the plot leaves something to be desired. Older men / younger women pairings are the key to South Pacific, and the musical discards much of the nuance and detail that made its inspiration, Tales of the South Pacific, better than not.
The musical flattens and compresses the novel – necessary, yes – but I didn’t quite understand why certain decisions were made. For one, they focused on what I considered two of the novel’s weaker stories and turned one of the book’s most interesting characters, Billis, into a generic fool. They discarded much of Emile de Becque’s past (understandable, as his history given in the novel makes him much less of a paramour) but kept Liat at the age of seventeen. And for all I found the novel’s handling of the Liat and Joe Cable story creepy, the musical manages to up it to a level that makes me feel like we’re celebrating selling teenage girls into borderline prostitution.
And as for Nellie Forbush – without some of the details and complexities of the novel – it’s that much more confusing as to why she’s so mad about de Becque. As is, it’s seems like she’s mostly in it for the money, which, you know, happens but isn’t exactly romantic or worth celebrating.
So let’s keep (most of) the songs and ditch the story. Quasi-recommended.
Take away the music, though, and the plot leaves something to be desired. Older men / younger women pairings are the key to South Pacific, and the musical discards much of the nuance and detail that made its inspiration, Tales of the South Pacific, better than not.
The musical flattens and compresses the novel – necessary, yes – but I didn’t quite understand why certain decisions were made. For one, they focused on what I considered two of the novel’s weaker stories and turned one of the book’s most interesting characters, Billis, into a generic fool. They discarded much of Emile de Becque’s past (understandable, as his history given in the novel makes him much less of a paramour) but kept Liat at the age of seventeen. And for all I found the novel’s handling of the Liat and Joe Cable story creepy, the musical manages to up it to a level that makes me feel like we’re celebrating selling teenage girls into borderline prostitution.
And as for Nellie Forbush – without some of the details and complexities of the novel – it’s that much more confusing as to why she’s so mad about de Becque. As is, it’s seems like she’s mostly in it for the money, which, you know, happens but isn’t exactly romantic or worth celebrating.
So let’s keep (most of) the songs and ditch the story. Quasi-recommended.
October 23, 2019
I really liked the songs. Bali Ha'i especially. Here's my analysis of race and "South Pacific".
South Pacific, America, and Race
In the world of South Pacific, a musical composed by Richard Roger, with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and the book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan, “others” are treated as people to be friends with but not marry. For example, when Nellie learns that Emile had previously been married to a polynesian woman, someone who is not white like Nellie and Emile, she leaves in a rush, because she can’t understand while Emile would marry an outsider.
EMILE. Yes, Nellie. I’m their father.
NELLIE. And-their mother...was a...was...a…
EMILE. Polynesian.
(NELLIE is stunned. She turns away, trying to collect herself.)
And she was beautiful, Nellie, and charming too.
NELLIE. But you and she…(1.12).
The character of Cable is another interesting instance of loving an outsider but not marrying her. Cable is in love with Bloody Mary’s daughter Liat, but he finds himself saying he can’t marry her because she’s polynesian and he’s white (2.3).
However, this statement of not being able to marry “others” only seems to apply to the Americans in the play. Emile had no problem marrying a Polynesian woman, and Bloody Mary has no issue with Liat marrying Cable. It’s Nellie and Cable who have the racist tendencies. Cable explains to Emile why him and Nellie are racist in the song: “You’ve Got to be Taught”.
CABLE.
You’ve got to be taught to hate and fear,…
You’ve got to be taught before it’s too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate-
You’ve got to be carefully taught. (2.4).
This is a very progressive play for 1949. It’s stating that Americans are more racist and afraid of outsiders than the rest of the world. Civil rights will not be established in america until 1964. Yet here Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rogers, and Joshua Logan are in 1949 speaking out against america’s culture of handed down racism.
I think South Pacific is a more politically progressive play than Oklahoma! due to South Pacific’s very progressive statements against racism, as well as how liberally topics such as sex and sexual appeal are discussed or shown in the play. For example, when Cable first meets Liat, they sleep together, with the very suggestive stage direction of “The lights fade slowly as his hand slides her blouse up her back toward her shoulders” (1.10). Emile also catches Nellie showering and gets a glimpse of her in only her bra and shorts (1.7). These are very progressive, scandalous for the time, ideas that are less present in Oklahoma!.
Ultimately, I liked South Pacific. I was pleasantly surprised by how it spoke out against racism, and the haunting song “Bali Ha’i” I think will play through my dreams tonight, “Bali Ha’i/ Will whisper/ On de wind of de sea,/ ‘Here am I/ Your special island!/ Come to me, come to me!’,”(1.3).
South Pacific, America, and Race
In the world of South Pacific, a musical composed by Richard Roger, with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and the book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan, “others” are treated as people to be friends with but not marry. For example, when Nellie learns that Emile had previously been married to a polynesian woman, someone who is not white like Nellie and Emile, she leaves in a rush, because she can’t understand while Emile would marry an outsider.
EMILE. Yes, Nellie. I’m their father.
NELLIE. And-their mother...was a...was...a…
EMILE. Polynesian.
(NELLIE is stunned. She turns away, trying to collect herself.)
And she was beautiful, Nellie, and charming too.
NELLIE. But you and she…(1.12).
The character of Cable is another interesting instance of loving an outsider but not marrying her. Cable is in love with Bloody Mary’s daughter Liat, but he finds himself saying he can’t marry her because she’s polynesian and he’s white (2.3).
However, this statement of not being able to marry “others” only seems to apply to the Americans in the play. Emile had no problem marrying a Polynesian woman, and Bloody Mary has no issue with Liat marrying Cable. It’s Nellie and Cable who have the racist tendencies. Cable explains to Emile why him and Nellie are racist in the song: “You’ve Got to be Taught”.
CABLE.
You’ve got to be taught to hate and fear,…
You’ve got to be taught before it’s too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate-
You’ve got to be carefully taught. (2.4).
This is a very progressive play for 1949. It’s stating that Americans are more racist and afraid of outsiders than the rest of the world. Civil rights will not be established in america until 1964. Yet here Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rogers, and Joshua Logan are in 1949 speaking out against america’s culture of handed down racism.
I think South Pacific is a more politically progressive play than Oklahoma! due to South Pacific’s very progressive statements against racism, as well as how liberally topics such as sex and sexual appeal are discussed or shown in the play. For example, when Cable first meets Liat, they sleep together, with the very suggestive stage direction of “The lights fade slowly as his hand slides her blouse up her back toward her shoulders” (1.10). Emile also catches Nellie showering and gets a glimpse of her in only her bra and shorts (1.7). These are very progressive, scandalous for the time, ideas that are less present in Oklahoma!.
Ultimately, I liked South Pacific. I was pleasantly surprised by how it spoke out against racism, and the haunting song “Bali Ha’i” I think will play through my dreams tonight, “Bali Ha’i/ Will whisper/ On de wind of de sea,/ ‘Here am I/ Your special island!/ Come to me, come to me!’,”(1.3).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2025
Yeah yeah, it was “progressive” for its time, its overall moral is that you shouldn’t let your racism get in the way of your love, but this play is somehow both largely boring and fundamentally racist. The depiction of liat is nothing but gross. I listened to the songs while I read, not even that impressed by those?
I mean maybe I just need to find a modern adaption of this that I find compelling. It worked with Oklahoma? The most interesting this about this is that it’s an adaption of tales of the South Pacific, which won the Pulitzer for fiction just two years prior.
This was the 28th play I read in my quest to conquer the Pulitzer Prize for drama.
I mean maybe I just need to find a modern adaption of this that I find compelling. It worked with Oklahoma? The most interesting this about this is that it’s an adaption of tales of the South Pacific, which won the Pulitzer for fiction just two years prior.
This was the 28th play I read in my quest to conquer the Pulitzer Prize for drama.
November 27, 2020
The music of this show is absolutely lovely, but it’s messaging is terribly outdated. It is one of those pieces of old media that did good things and pushed a progressive message in its time, but needs some solid updating to be played in a modern theater.
When reading it and listening to the music, it deserves the benefit of the doubt as to the intentions of the writers, however it should be carefully considered if someone wants to stage a revival.
When reading it and listening to the music, it deserves the benefit of the doubt as to the intentions of the writers, however it should be carefully considered if someone wants to stage a revival.
July 8, 2014
When people hear the word "musical" they tend to think "comedy". I don't know why, although I do, too. And then we're surprised to discover that a musical deals with serious topics. But, if I listed ten off the top of my head, at least half of them would deal with something serious, probably more.
Okay:
South Pacific
Showboat
West Side Story
Babes in Arms
A Chorus Line
Jesus Christ Superstar
The Wizard of Oz
Wicked
L'il Abner
Guys and Dolls
I get three of those as being actual comedies. Hmmm. I wonder if the term "musical tragedies" will catch on?
Okay:
South Pacific
Showboat
West Side Story
Babes in Arms
A Chorus Line
Jesus Christ Superstar
The Wizard of Oz
Wicked
L'il Abner
Guys and Dolls
I get three of those as being actual comedies. Hmmm. I wonder if the term "musical tragedies" will catch on?
November 4, 2016
A classic musical that explores issues facing fighting men in an entertaining, lyrical, humorous and serious manner wrapped into one. Surprisingly, its stance against racism was extremely forward looking for its time. However, after hearing today of the abject fear and disapproval of Somali refugees in 2016 Minnesota, it appears its message is still as relevant as ever as I write this.
July 6, 2021
South Pacific is... fine. Iconic and containing a few excellent songs, it's now largely outdated. There's very little here for anyone who is not a fan of musical history or doesn't already have a soft spot for South Pacific/Richard Rogers. It has certainly earned a place in theatre history, but it's not a musical I see much need for revival.
July 11, 2019
The script is more like a 2, but the music is tops.
For more on our favorite musicals tune in to this special episode of the All the Books Show: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/ep...
For more on our favorite musicals tune in to this special episode of the All the Books Show: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/ep...
August 2, 2016
The lyrics to the songs are great; no surprise from Hammerstein. But there's just not a lot of story here.
March 6, 2014
Lovely songs, weird bitter-sweet story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews