American servicemen cheer on their beloved Bloody Mary, a local Tonkinese entrepreneur, as she confronts a Marine for not buying one of the grass skirts she’s selling.
Some Enchanted Evening
Recalling the moment when he first saw Nellie just two weeks before, Emile plainly expresses his love for her in this stunning ballad, which would go on to become an American standard. “Some Enchanted Evening,” sung by Ezio Pinza on the original 1949 Broadway cast recording, was also recorded by Perry Como, whose popular single soared to number one on … Read More
Twin Soliloquies
During an otherwise platonic conversation, Emile and Nellie consider the romantic possibilities of their new relationship.
A Cockeyed Optimist
Ensign Nellie Forbush, a nurse from Arkansas, admires the view of the sun over the ocean, musing knowingly about her naturally sunny perspective.
Dites-moi
At the opening of the show, two Polynesian children sing a playful tune on the patio of a beautiful estate owned by local Frenchman Emile de Becque.
Overture
Beginning with the three majestic notes of “Bali H’ai,” South Pacific’s overture is considered one of the greatest overtures of all time. Exuberantly arranged by Robert Russell Bennett, it presents an extraordinary array of the great songs to follow, full of passion, humor and melody. Imagine hearing it before the world knew “There is Nothing Like A Dame,” “A Wonderful … Read More
Oklahoma
Curly and Laurey gather with friends and family to celebrate their marriage and Oklahoma’s pending statehood. During the creation of Oklahoma!, producer Theresa Helburn suggested Hammerstein write “a song about the earth.” The resulting song was so successful, it became the new title of the musical. “Oklahoma” draws an important parallel between two of the show’s central themes: the characters’ … Read More
All er Nuthin’
Having secured the $50 he promised Ado Annie’s father for her hand in marriage, Will demands that Ado Annie commit to him, and only him. With characteristic frankness, Ado Annie responds as only she can.
The Farmer and the Cowman
At the box social, guests from all over the territory dance together, watched over carefully by Aunt Eller, who understands the need for everyone to get along. She stops the dancing to explain, “I won’t say I’m no better than anybody else, but I’ll be damned if I ain’t just as good!”
Out of My Dreams – Dream Sequence
One of the most substantial progressions of the American musical theatre form was the addition of dance as a tool to further plot and character development. With choreography by Agnes de Mille, the Dream Ballet acts as a surreal exploration of the naïve Laurey’s inner life as she faces the decision of choosing between Curly and Jud.
Lonely Room
In this wrenching soliloquy, Jud’s churning thoughts escalate with contempt for the society that has discarded him. Brutally dismissing Curly’s threatening ultimatum, Jud vows to pursue Laurey with even greater fervor.
Pore Jud Is Daid
Curly pays Jud a visit in his smokehouse and sings this wry, goading eulogy to belittle the menacing farmhand into taking his own life.
People Will Say We’re in Love
In this classic example of a Rodgers & Hammerstein “conditional love song,” Laurey and Curly continue their restrained, coded flirtation with a list of “don’ts” to keep people from thinking they should be together. When the song is reprised in the second act, once the two have finally admitted their love for one another, Hammerstein cleverly adjusts the lyric to … Read More
It’s a Scandal! It’s a Outrage!
Trapped! Hoodwink’d! Hambushed! Ali Hakim finds himself between a rock and… the barrel of a gun held by Ado Annie’s father, Cord Elam. Frustrated but comically misguided, the traveling peddler lets out his frustration by anxiously calling for a men’s “revolution.”
Many a New Day
After Laurey becomes annoyed by Curly and declines his invitation to the box social, Gertie Cummings plans to go instead. To show “how little she keers,” Laurey sings this anthem of feminine independence.