Lincoln Center South Pacific Crosses Atlantic???

Could Lincoln Center’s long-running production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific be making its way across the Atlantic? That was the suggestion from Howard Panter, joint chief executive of Ambassador Theatre Group, in an interview with the Guardian on Friday (13 September 2010), when he used it as an example of high-quality and artistically sound musical theatre. As well as suggesting that ATG would be bringing the production to the West End, Panter went on to sing the show’s praises, saying it was an “extraordinary moving piece of work, basically about men at war,” he added, “Mr Hammerstein and Mr Rodgers knew a thing or two about creating wonderful music, yes, but the core of it is that it is about something.” The production, which won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical Revival, ended its two-year run in the Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater on 22 August 2010. 

The New York revival starred Kelli O’Hara as nurse Nellie Forbush and Tony winner Paulo Szot as Emile DeBecque, the French plantation owner who falls for her. Joe Cable was originally played by Matthew Morrison, who is now better known as teacher Will Schuester in Glee. He was replaced later in the run by Andrew Samonsky due to Morrison’s TV schedule. The revival was directed by Bartlett Sher with musical staging by Christopher Gattelli and musical direction by Ted Sperling.