Thursday, June 10, 2010

Another enchanted evening

Some visiting friend from Australia gave me an excuse to go see "South Pacific" again tonight (and I was able to get $125 tickets for $35). It is a hell of a show, musically opulent and as startling in its seriousness about the problem of racial prejudice as ever. And the production really is a wonder.

The cast has changed a little since I saw it last March. Laura Osnes (left) is still perfect as Nellie Forbush from Little Rock, and Danny Burstein as entrepreneurial Luther Billis from Brooklyn. Tonight's de Becque #4 was a bit less intense than #3, but still plenty good. Not sure why they keep on the actor playing the Princetonian Joseph Cable: he mumbles when he talks and squeaks when he sings (of course you might not want to sing "You've got to be properly taught" with a full voice) but I guess that's what a Broadway tenor sounds like these days.

Since last time, I've become de Becque's age. (Cable thinks 44 is over the hill. Ha!) High time for me to see a stranger across a crowded room.