Rodgers & Hammerstein’s 1949 musical ‘South Pacific’ is set to enthrall Perth audiences when it opens tonight.
Lisa McCune who stars in the main role as Nellie Forbush said to OUTinPerth “It’s great to come home”, in what will be the first stage role for the Logie winner since her graduation for the Western Australian Academy of Performing arts.
McCune stars alongside Australian Opera singer Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Avenue Q’s Mitchell Butel and the beautiful Christine Anu.
South Pacific follows the story of an American nurse (McCune) who falls in love with expatriate French plantation owner (Tahu Rhodes) during her time stationed on a South Pacific island in World War II where she finds it hard to accept his mixed-race children. A U.S. lieutenant (Blake Bowden) also finds himself in a romance with a young Tonkinese woman (Celina Yuen), exploding fears of social consequences should he marry his Asian sweetheart where this story explores the continuing conversation of racial integration and acceptance.
Reflecting on the Sydney run of the show McCune mentioned “The Opera House is extraordinary it’s a great space for this show and interestingly the wide spaces for this set have been a better house for South Pacific, as it is for the Crown.”
South Pacific runs from 10th to the 30th November at the Crown Theatre for a strictly limited season. Tickets through Ticketek.
Ryan Boldison
