South Pacific

****
Vivian Beaumont

This musical is at least a little bit ground-breaking in the sense that this is the first time that this almost 60 year old Pulitzer Prize-winner has been revived on Broadway; probably in part, due to the dated nature of the book whose themes on racism seem archaic and darling. Instead of calling in David Ives to fix it, Director Bartlett Sher, has smartly embraced the book as a relic and carefully presents it just probably had been originally. Having played Lt. Cable in my High School spring musical (Matthew Morrison decided to play him as sexy and masculine. Interesting choice.), I have every word of the score committed to memory and it was pretty heavenly listening to these songs sung so beautifully by our Broadway cast. I cannot get "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair" out of my head. Nor do I want to.