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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2010
PHOTOS BY LINDA DAVIDSON/THE WASHINGTON POST
HIGHLIGHTS:As the convincingly conniving Luther Billis, Timothy Gulan, center, is one of many strong performers in the touring production of “South Pacific” at theKennedy Center OperaHouse.
No rough waters for ‘Pacific’ theater review from C1
Broadway six years after “Oklaho- ma!,” took the songwriting team on a rarer route for musical dra- ma, into the realm of the con- science. Its setting is a South Seas naval installation during World War II, but its subject is race. The musical’s love stories both con- cern sensitive American military people thwarted by their preju- dices: Arkansas-bred Nellie can’t deal with Emile’s previous mar- riage to a Polynesian woman, a union that produced two dark- skinned children. And dashing Marine Lt. Cable (the mellifluous Anderson Davis) is unable to en- vision life with the island girl he loves, Sumie Maeda’s Liat, as a relationship that would pass muster back home on the Phila- delphiaMain Line. Hammerstein had explored el-
ements of this hot-button issue in the ’20s when he collaborated with Jerome Kern on “Show Boat,” among whose characters is a light-skinned mixed-race wom- an masquerading as white. In “South Pacific,” the concern takes on even more importance, and ultimately, a tone bordering on outright preachiness, in Lt. Ca- ble’s tuneful second-act sermon, “You’ve Got to be Carefully Taught.” The song’s self-righteousness
dates the show a bit; it would be irritating if it weren’t so pretty. (Thedevilish “AvenueQ” cheekily echoed “South Pacific” a half-cen- tury later, in the satirical number “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist.”)
roof of the orchestra pit retracted during the overture to reveal a stunningcomplementof30musi- cians. That amazing overture just as
capably induces swoons in the KennedyCenter. Ifanything, your admiration for the score increas- es on this occasion; there isn’t a perfunctory musical moment all evening. (And with two reprises, you get all of the “Some Enchant- ed Evening” that you crave.) Da- vis’s rendition of “My Girl Back Home,” Cusack’s “A Wonderful Guy” and Kimura’s “Happy Talk” are some of the highlights of a production that will leave you humming show tunes in your sleep. The score’s emotionality levi-
COMPLEXCHARACTERS: With a first-rate voice and charmingly down-to-earth take, Carmen Cusack offers a moving portrait of the slow breakup ofNellie’s provincial mind-set.
As for the musical’s other antique qualities, we’re not even going to get into the slightly creepy cir- cumstances of Cable’s liaison with gentle, younger-than- springtime Liat, arranged by her vulturous mother, the trinket peddler BloodyMary. Still, Jodi Kimura is aces as
Mary, asserting herself puckishly and mangling English with the shameless disregard of a woman interested only in closing a sale. Andthe sailors, SeabeesandNavy women are embodied by a robust ensemble, led by Timothy Gulan’s convincingly conniving Luther
Billis. The Opera House, it must be
noted, is not the most accommo- dating venue for this show; Mi- chael Yeargan’s Tony-winning set has lost some of the cinematic scale it conveyed in the Vivian Beaumont Theater, with its ex- pansive thrust
stage.Thephysical production, which retains the beachfront military base and a majestic, changing Pacific sky, is impressive but no longer breath- taking. We’re deprived here, too, of one
of the revival’s goose-bump se- quences: In the Beaumont, the
tates the central love story; it supports the characters all the way through to those tender final notes of “Dites-Moi.” WhenNellie reaches one last time for Emile’s hand, you can’t help but feel it reaching out to yours, too.
marksp@washpost.com
South Pacific
music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan. Directed by Bartlett Sher. Musical
staging, Christopher Gattelli; costumes, Catherine Zuber; lighting, Donald Holder; sound, Scott Lehrer; music
direction, Ted Sperling.With Rusty Ross, Genson Blimline, Christina Carrera, CJ
Palma. About three hours. Through Jan. 16 at the Kennedy Center, 2700 F St.
NW. Visit
www.kennedy-center.org or call 202-467-4600.
Consider no-gifts request a chance to strengthen family ties
Dear Carolyn: My sister married a Muslim and
converted.We live in cities several hours apart, but the family comes together for Thanksgiving, and I have brought birthday gifts for her children in years past. I sentmy sister an e-mail this
year asking for gift suggestions, and she toldmeto not buy them anything because they celebrated two Eid holidays this fall,which is when they exchange gifts in their religion. Shewanted the Eid holidays to remain extra special and the children not to become spoiled with too many gifts. My sister still plans to have a cake for them. Growing up, the “gift” days for
children in our familywere Christmas and birthdays. Itwas disappointingwhenmy sister gave up Christmas, but itwas understood and respected. However, Iamnowsaddened not to experience the joy of seeing the young children’s faces as they open their birthday gifts. The passing of each of these events, which customarily brings family together, seeminglyworks as another step in feeling distance and disconnect from the children. Iwould like to retain some sort
of feeling of commonality with them. Is there anything I can do on their birthdays to showthem their non-Muslim family loves them enough to buy them gifts, too, without offendingmy sister’s wishes?
Losingmy family to religion You’re losing a gift-giving
opportunity to religion. If you want to lose your family
CAROLYN HAX
to religion, the best way to accomplish that is to rage, rage against the dying of your traditions, instead of adapting to theirs. Have you ever asked to be included in their Eid celebrations? I understand your frustration
at being denied the chance to spoil your niece and nephews. But it couldn’t hurt to consider that spoiling with material gifts is overrated; it’s not as if the typical middle-class kid (or adult) has any shortage of stuff. And gifts aren’t the only way
to spend money on, or time with, these children, nor are birthdays the only occasion to do so. You can take them to movies, games, plays or concerts; bake with them; go on nature walks with them; create art projects with them (bring materials and a plan with you to a family gathering). Ask your sister about their interests vs. gift ideas, and you’ll probably get a more satisfying answer. Feed those interests, vs. their toy chests, and you’ll probably see more than once-a- year joy on their faces.
Dear Carolyn: What do you say to a family
memberwho doesn’twant to go to Christmas Eve services with the family because the church is not
NICK GALIFIANAKIS FOR THE WASHINGTON POST
her religion (she decided shewas a pagan a fewyears ago), but shows up bright and early Christmas morning to get her Christmas presents? I gritmy teeth every time she gleefully opens her gifts!
Mrs. Scrooge
If you’re looking to enforce religious purity, Christmas isn’t the place to start. The date itself traces more credibly to winter- solstice traditions than to the birth of Christ. And, American- style Christmas was cobbled together in the 1800s, using Christian, pagan, commercial,
literary and various other cultural bits and pieces. If your sister isn’t giving gifts as well as receiving, then you have a case. Otherwise, smile and think generous thoughts (also a Christmas tradition).
3Read the whole transcript or join the discussion live at
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Write to Tell Me About It, Style, 1150 15th St.NW,Washington, D.C. 20071, or
tellme@washpost.com.
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