South Pacific is considered to be one of the greatest Broadway musicals.A 2006 review stated: "Many are the knowledgeable and discriminating people for whom Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific, brilliantly co-written and staged by Joshua Logan, was the greatest musical of all."South Pacific, Theatrehistory.com, accessed November 14, 2012. The veteran producer Arthur Hammerstein called it the greatest musical show Broadway had ever seen, perfect in every respect. The critic Richard Watts, Jr., described it as "a thrilling and exultant musical play, an utterly captivating work of theatrical art." The musical premiered in 1949 and won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1950.Pulitzer Prize 1950, accessed June 24, 2011 The show was a critical and box office hit and has since enjoyed many successful revivals and tours, also spawning a 1958 film and other adaptations.
The original Broadway production won ten Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Libretto, and it is the only musical production ever to have won all four Tony Awards for acting.South Pacific 1950 Tony winners, Tony Awards official website, accessed April 4, 2012 The 2008 Broadway revival was a strong success, winning numerous theatre awards. Its seven Tonys included Best Musical Revival. Sher and Szot also won Tonys, and the production won in all four design categories, also receiving nominations for choreography and for the performances of O'Hara, Burstein and Ables Sayre. It also won five Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Musical Revival. The late Robert Russell Bennett was recognized that season for "his historic contribution to American musical theatre in the field of orchestrations, as represented on Broadway this season by Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific."Announcement of Tony Award nominations, 2008. Tonyawards.com
Awards and nominations Original Broadway production Year Award Ceremony Category Nominee Result 1950Pulitzer PrizeNolan, pp. 190–195 Drama Tony Award Best Musical Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical Ezio Pinza Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical Mary Martin Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical Myron McCormick Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical Juanita Hall Best Producer Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers, Leland Hayward and Joshua Logan Best Director Joshua Logan Best Libretto Oscar Hammerstein II Best Original Score Richard Rodgers 1949 Best Scenic Design Jo Mielziner New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards Best Musical Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan
2001 London revival Year Award Ceremony Category Nominee Result 2001 Laurence Olivier Award"Olivier Winners 2002" , Olivier Awards official website, accessed April 7, 2012 Best Actor in a Musical Philip Quast
2001 Television film Year Award Ceremony Category Nominee Result 2001 Emmy Award Outstanding Music Direction Paul Bogaev Outstanding Single Camera Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or a Movie Guntis Sics, Rick Ash, Joe Earle and Joel Moss
2008 Broadway revival Year Award Ceremony Category Nominee Result 2008 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Revival of a Musical Outstanding Actor in a Musical Paulo Szot Outstanding Actress in a Musical Kelli O'Hara Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Danny Burstein Outstanding Director Bartlett Sher Outstanding Set Design Michael Yeargan Outstanding Sound Design Scott Lehrer Outstanding Lighting Design Donald Holder Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Revival of a Musical Outstanding Actor in a Musical Paulo Szot Outstanding Actress in a Musical Kelli O'Hara Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Danny Burstein Outstanding Director of a Musical Bartlett Sher Outstanding Choreographer Christopher Gattelli Outstanding Set Design Michael Yeargan Outstanding Costume Design Catherine Zuber Tony Award Best Revival of a Musical Best Direction of a Musical Bartlett Sher Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical Paulo Szot Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical Kelli O'Hara Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical Danny Burstein Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical Loretta Ables Sayre Best Choreography Christopher Gattelli Best Scenic Design Michael Yeargan Best Costume Design Catherine Zuber Best Lighting Design Donald Holder Best Sound Design Scott Lehrer
2011 London revival Year Award Category Nominee Result 2012 Laurence Olivier AwardSingh, Anita. Olivier Awards: Full list of nominations, The Telegraph, March 15, 2012, accessed June 11, 2013Singh, Anita. Young stars steal the show as Matilda sets Olivier records, The Telegraph, April 15, 2012, accessed June 11, 2013 Best Musical Revival Best Actor in a Musical Paulo Szot Best Costume Design Catherine Zuber
Notes
References Nolan, Frederick. The Sound of Their Music: The Story of Rodgers & Hammerstein. Applause Theatre & Cinema Books, New York, 2002.
External links
South Pacific at the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization