Bali Hai

Bali Ha'i is Calling! - South Pacific on Broadway

The team of Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II has been world famous for many years. These two incredibly talented artists have to their credit a whole list of accomplishments; they are probably known most for such musicals as The Sound of Music, Oklahoma! and The King and I, but possibly the best known and most loved of all their prodigious output is South Pacific.

The first production of South Pacific took place at the Majestic Theatre on Broadway in 1949, and ran with almost 2,000 performances for more than five years. During that time, and in the years ensuing, it has probably won more awards and delighted more theatergoers than any other musical in history. This musical won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1950, and has won at least 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Libretto. It is the only musical ever to win all four Tony Awards for acting.

James A. Michener's Tales of the South Pacific, on which the musical is based, won the Pulitzer Prize for Literature, and when Joshua Logan and Oscar Hammerstein II decided to write an adaptation for the stage, Michener even contributed another 'tale' to lighten the mood of the serious stories the two were considering.

South Pacific takes place during World War II, and the characters include U.S. Navy troops stationed on a tropical island in fairly close proximity to other islands occupied by the Japanese. The story line and the unfolding drama involve the trials and triumphs of men and women in unfamiliar and dangerous territory, both physical and emotional. The two leading characters are Emile de Becque, a wealthy and worldly Frenchman, and Nellie Forbush, an American nurse who is also a "cockeyed optimist". In the original Broadway production, they are stunningly portrayed by major stars Ezio Pinza and Mary Martin. Emile the Frenchman is enchanted by young Nellie, and she by him. She knows that he has been married before, but not that the two children she meets are half Polynesian, (in her mind an insurmountable barrier). In the meantime, the restless and lonely young Navy men are pining for female companionship, and find a welcome from "Bloody Mary", a mature Tonkinese woman who beckons from "Bali Ha'i". However, while racial and cultural barriers can be crossed physically, upbringing is another matter. Lt. Joe Cable, a U.S. Marine on a dangerous mission, falls for Bloody Mary's daughter Liat, who he mistakenly assumes is a prostitute, but recoils from the idea of marriage to a dark-skinned woman.

The question of racial and cultural prejudice is succinctly addressed when Emile asks, forlornly, why Nellie is repelled by his previous marriage to a dark-skinned woman. It is explained to him as something not instinctive but "carefully taught" in the ground-breaking lyrics of the song: "You've got to be taught...to hate all the people your relatives hate". Emile the Frenchman cannot understand this attitude, but Nellie and Lt. Cable are still mired in it, and don't know how to get out.

As the war continues, Lt. Cable persuades Emile to go along on a dangerous mission to a nearby island occupied by the Japanese, a mission he hopes will make a crucial difference in the balance of power in the war. Emile, in despair over his lost love, goes, and Nellie is torn with conflicting emotions. By the time the mission is over, Lt Joe Cable has been killed, and Emile barely escapes with his life. He returns, however, to a happy ending: Nellie and his 'half-caste' children meet him together, and love conquers all, as it should.

South Pacific continues to 'enchant' audiences as much as it ever has. The musical score is irresistible, with such gems as "Some Enchanted Evening", "Younger Than Springtime", and the haunting "Bali Ha'i", it has been performed in countless venues and by many and varied actors and actresses. It never fails to provide a lovely and memorable experience.

The really good news is that the Broadway revival is now playing, and no closing date has been mentioned. You can see and hear this wonderful show on Broadway, and the cast of this production is once more star-studded. The part of Nellie Forbush is beautifully played by three-time Tony Award nominee Kelli O'Hara. Paulo Szot, who has won a Tony Award, is ideal for his role as Emile de Becque.