Despite fears that a traditional book musical from 1949 might seem as corny as Kansas in August to contemporary audiences, Bartlett Sher’s 2008 Broadway revival of South Pacific turned out to to be some enchanted evening, winning rapturous reviews, seven Tonys and renewed respect for the musical’s unforgettable score, powerful love story and subtle treatment of racial issues among U.S. soldiers and Polynesian islanders during WWII. Much of the production’s success was due to the performances of the original cast (including Matthew Morrison of Glee fame as the beauteous Lieutenant Cable),
This article appears in Jan 6-12, 2010.