'South Pacific' opens on Laconia High Stage Thursday Night

LACONIA — Laconia High School Theatre Arts is proud to present Rodgers and Hammerstein's "South Pacific" Thursday, April 18 and Friday, April 19 at 7 p.m. with a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday,

April 20. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students and seniors.

Adapted from James Michner's novel "Tales of the South Pacific", the story weaves together several intersecting plotlines to tell a tale of love and war, set during the Second World War.

Navy nurse Nellie Forbush struggles with her preconceived notions and her love for debonair expatriate Frenchman Emile deBecque, while Lieutenant Joseph Cable has his own qualms about his love for the beautiful Polynesian girl, Liat. Meanwhile, the wily Luther Billis tries to make the war into his own personal souvenir hunt, only to find the crafty Bloody Mary, (and his superior officers!) standing in his way. With unforgettable songs like, Some Enchanted Evening, Theirs is Nothing Like a Dame, I'm Gonna Wash that Man Right Out of My Hair, and the haunting, Bali Ha'i, it is an evening not to be missed.

The show features a mix of veteran and rookie performers, with senior Gwen Huot as Nellie, and sophomore and drama club newcomer Michael O'Brien as Emile. Sophomore (and veteran of last years performance of "Once Upon A Mattress") Mitchell Bailey plays the handsome Lt. Cable. Sophomore Emily Paronto takes on the role of the comedic swindler Bloody Mary, and sophomore Reese Miles plays her counterpart, Luther Billis.

"It's been a wild ride," said director Bernie Campbell. "But I'm pleased with how far we've come." Weather and illness, as well as scheduling around spring sports practices have made rehearsal a challenge, Campbell pointed out, but added. "The students always pull through with that extra effort. "

Tickets are available at the door, and Campbell encourages patrons to arrive early. "I'm hoping that there'll be a few extra parking spaces soon, with the completion of the new Huot Center, but better plan ahead just in case."

The music of "South Pacific" was written by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. The book was composed by Oscar Hammerstein and Joshua Logan. The Broadway version of the show with Ezio Pinza and Mary Martin is considered a classic,and the film version with Mitzi Gaynor is as well. The touring production with followed it's Broadway debut in April 1949 was banned from several cities in the south for it's (for the time) radical views on racial equality and implicit criticism of the Jim Crow era. These

themes help keep the show relevant, even as America's World War Two experience fades from collective memory. "South Pacific" is presented by a special arrangement with R&H Theatricals.

For more information, visit the Laconia High School Theatre Arts webpage at www.laconiaschools.org/drama, or call 524-3350, ext 4616.