Premiering on Broadway at the Majestic Theatre on April 7, 1949, South Pacific was an instant hit with critics and audiences alike. Starring Mary Martin as Ensign Nellie Forbush and opera star Ezio Pinza as Emile De Becque, South Pacific would run 1,925 performances on Broadway, taking its final bow on January 16, 1954. At the Tony Awards, the production won all ten awards for which it was nominated, including Best Musical, Best Libretto, Best Musical Score, Best Director and, in a historic accomplishment, all four musical performance awards; Mary Martin, Ezio Pinza, Myron McCormick and Juanita Hall all won. That has never happened since. The ultimate honor, however, came on May 1, 1950, when the Pulitzer Prize for Drama was awarded to South Pacific, only the second musical to earn the distinction.