"Broadway in Annapolis," a decade-long tradition of the Annapolis Chorale and Annapolis Chamber Orchestra, hit a new high last weekend with its production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific.
Music Director J. Ernest Green initially encountered scheduling hurdles in bringing the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical to Maryland Hall's stage, but its arrival was worth the wait: The production excelled in terms of quality musicianship, dramatic storytelling, clever staging, skilled acting and, above all, a dream cast.
Based on James Michener's Tales of the South Pacific, the show is set on a small island during World War II where homesick servicemen wait to enter the battle against the Japanese. South Pacific features parallel love stories, both dealing with racial prejudice. Middle-aged French planter Emile de Becque and young nurse Nellie Forbush are attracted to each other, although Nellie has difficulty accepting de Becque's Polynesian children. College-educated Lt. Joe Cable falls in love with a young island woman, Liat, and confronts his own prejudice.
Advanced for its day, the musical's social commentary remains relevant as expressed in the song "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught" -- "taught to be afraid of people whose eyes are oddly made, and people whose skin is a different shade, you've got to be carefully taught."
Green and his versatile orchestra have proved to be at home with everything from the classical repertoire to Broadway, counting on 30 top-notch professionals assembled to bring a South Pacific to surpass most pit orchestras currently heard on Broadway.
A superb orchestral overture set the tone for the stage magic that followed with star performances. Among the many fine productions of South Pacific I've enjoyed, I'd rank the Annapolis Chorale's production at the top in terms of having two stars who came the closest to Mary Martin and the Metropolitan Opera's Ezio Pinza, who starred in the original 1949 production and cast an impossibly long shadow for future performers.
Katie Hale in the role of Nellie Forbush brought energy and sparkle to "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair" and "Honey Bun," complete with some fancy footwork. And she delivered a heartfelt "Twin Soliloquies" that had dramatic power. Hale displayed first-rate acting as well, and is the most attractive Nellie I've seen on any stage.
Almost outshining Hale was Jimi James, whose magnificent baritone conveyed all the romanticism embodied in "Some Enchanted Evening" and "This Nearly Was Mine." Likable James has commanding stage presence and can even summon a believable French accent.
Tom Magette delivered a standout performance as Lt. Joe Cable. His clear Irish tenor was young enough to be convincing as 20-something Cable, and he ably conveyed his conflicted emotions springing from his latent racial prejudices. Magette's heartfelt delivery of "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught" was a high point of the evening.
By far the best Bloody Mary I've heard locally was Rayanne Gonzales, who played Liat's mother -- she provided musical and comic highs as the wheeler-dealer island lady. Gonzales delivered an exotic "Bali Hai" so alluring that it made me want to pack my bags. Her "Happy Talk" was the brightest imaginable. I was delighted to become reacquainted with Gonzales, having admired her at the 2003 Annapolis Opera Vocal Competition when she placed second, and again at Arena Stage in 2004 when she appeared in Frank Loesser's Senor Discretion Himself.
Kudos to Catrin Rowenna Davies for her innovative staging, and to whoever found the great costumes.
Finally to the wonderful choristers of the Annapolis Chorale who added their own bright and often rousing sound to "Nothing Like a Dame" and "Bloody Mary," "Bali Hai" and "Honey Bun."
I wish they could have sung a few tunes in the orchestral overture to add their own lovely distinction.
Still, everyone contributed to provide an "Enchanted Evening" in a South Pacific that will be hard to surpass.