In This 'South Pacific,' High Energy, Good Looks, Low Chemistry
Thursday, July 13, 2006; Page GZ24
The parade of summer musicals is in full swing, including a slightly less than enchanting evening of "South Pacific" at Rockville Musical Theatre.
The Rodgers and Hammerstein opus about island love during World War II remains a vigorous expression of American musical theater at its zenith. It features a luminescent score in which a dozen songs transcended Broadway to become standards that are still with us decades after the show made its debut and opened a new chapter of theater history. There is power in the primary story, a fanciful love affair leavened with a dose of reality in the form of racism. But problems with the orchestra and with casting prevent this production from fully unleashing the power and the beauty of "South Pacific."
  Liz Hester plays a young Navy nurse and Walter Smith the French expat she falls for in Rockville Musical Theatre's "South Pacific." (Rockville Musical Theatre) |
Your senses are tweaked as soon as the evocative first notes of the exotic melody "Bali Ha'i," a song about an enchanted island, begin the overture. "Some Enchanted Evening," "There Is Nothing Like a Dame," "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair," "I'm in Love with a Wonderful Guy" and others follow, each song a jewel that accents an aspect of the story. Unfortunately, the nine-member orchestra was under-rehearsed opening night, and their clashing sounds diminished the score's splendor.
The story has Emile de Becque, a middle-aged French expatriate planter near a U.S. base, winning the heart of Nellie Forbush, a young American nurse from the South. Walter Smith does a marvelously consistent job with the French accent and his voice soars magnificently with the challenging "Some Enchanted Evening," finding just the right approach between the overheated, operatic styling of Ezio Pinza, who originated the role, and later pop incarnations. But there is no chemistry between him and co-star Liz Hester, who plays Nellie. In fact, Smith seems unwilling to get near her, which rather chills a love story.
Hester handles the nuances of her role adroitly, portraying an initially endearing and winsome young lady who lets racism turn her away from love when she discovers de Becque has mixed-race children from a deceased island woman. Hester's voice is weaker than optimal for the role, but she injects enough fun into the big production number "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair" to make it work.
An exuberant Daniel Corey practically steals the show as irrepressible, scheming sailor Luther Billis. Corey radiates good cheer, his face frequently screwed up into a variety of comic grimaces. His energy propels the lonely sailors' salute to femininity in "There is Nothing Like a Dame." As Lt. Joseph Cable, who gets involved in a creepy affair with a teenage island girl before embarking on a dangerous mission, David Fair sings the lilting "Younger Than Springtime" superbly. But he is otherwise awkward onstage.
The performances may be uneven, but this is a great-looking show. Many simple but effective settings designed by director Robert Jones switch seamlessly between scenes, immeasurably aiding the storytelling.
Audience manners remain a problem at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, the beautiful 500-seat facility operated by the city of Rockville, where this group and others perform. Audience activity is a frequent distraction here, with no apparent attempt to curb the rudeness. There seems to be an understanding that it's okay to talk or even shout during performances.
During opening night, a woman in the audience sang her way through the songs with the cast. Then there was the man with the loud, gravelly voice who negatively commented on each scene. A cast member's family talked and jostled as if they were in their living room. Their cellphone erupted during the most dramatic moment onstage, ruining the scene. This incivility doesn't happen at other venues; it shouldn't be allowed here.
"South Pacific" continues through July 23, performed by Rockville Musical Theatre at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, 603 Edmonston Dr., Rockville Civic Center Park. Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. For tickets, call the box office at 240-314-8690. For information, visithttp:/
