Review: South Pacific

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]South Pacific the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical rolls into Cardiff to dock at the Millennium Centre this week and we went along to check it out. It has all the classic songs and big dance numbers you would expect from such a global success. Get ready to step back in time for some musical royalty.

I’d like to just start this review with a note on the history of this production. The plot and language used by many of the characters, viewed through a modern lens in 2022, feels jarring and problematic. Hammerstein famously advocated for the eradication of racial prejudice in America and across the world, and wanted to capitalise on his incredible success with Oklahoma! by creating a musical that addressed prejudices in society towards people of colour. South Pacific tackles this issue, so while the motivations behind the plot are with the best intentions, some of the events and language did come as a bit of a shock to me who’d never seen the musical before. I think I would have benefitted from reading some of the history behind the production before seeing it on stage.

[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”28670″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]That being said, the show itself was as you would expect from a classic musical performed at the Millennium Centre; crisp, expertly choreographed and beautiful to watch. The old school whole ensemble dance numbers were spectacular and the singing was note perfect on every song, in particular A Wonderful Guy which was a standout for me. Julian Ovenden and Gina Beck in the leading roles were truly superb and stunned the audience with incredible vocals throughout the show. Of course, all of this is supported by a full orchestra of musicians who are as big a stars as the ones on stage. The music was sensational.

The set pieces seemed to come out of nowhere, from such a plain back drop the stage designer has used incredible ingenuity to transport the audience to an island setting. Through the use of lighting, sound and immersive scenery the stage seemed to transform from empty and grey to full of life and colour in the blink of an eye, it felt like watching a magic trick at times and added to the mystic of the show. The soothing sounds of the island backdrop, set against the harsh reality of the Second World War made for some emotional and striking theatre.

So, should you go and watch South Pacific at the Millennium Stadium this week? The short answer is yes, but I would recommend reading up on some of the plot before hand if you are unfamiliar with the show. Overall, its everything a fan of ‘classic’ musicals could want, and you cannot deny the genius of Rodgers and Hammerstein brought to life by an extremely talented cast. Nearly every seat was filled on the opening night which offers a clear indication of how beloved this musical still is 70 years after its release.

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