"South Pacific", perhaps America's favorite musical, will again grace the stage of Parker School Theatre in Waimea, as Waimea Community Theatre presents the musical opening July 31, on the 25th anniversary of their record breaking production there in 1984. The recently announced cast is drawn from a wide area of the Big Island and, according to co-directors Jennifer Hussong and Vivian Rose Olen, manifests the enormous appeal of the musical, more than fifty years after its first presentation on Broadway.
The play centers around the budding romance between Emile de Becque (portrayed by Dick Hershberger), a French emigre plantation owner, and Nellie Forbush (Lisa McCarthy), a Navy nurse from Little Rock, posted to a tiny South Pacific island base during World War II. Emile's two young children (Brittany Echavez and Maluhia Sanchez ) later spark a crisis for Nellie, which is at the heart of the story. While the couple are falling in love, handsome young Lt. Cable (John D. Stover) arrives on an important secret mission and is promptly captivated by a beautiful young Tonkinese woman, Liat, (played by Tee Phan.) Her mother, Bloody Mary (Rona Flaherty), is a bawdy, boiterous island trinket peddler who sings the haunting "Bali Hai", perhaps Rodgers and Hammerstein's best-known romantic song. Both cooperating and competing with Bloody Mary in the pursuit of an extra buck are Luther Billis, an enterprising enlisted man (played by Tommy Edwards) and an assortment of sailors, seabees and marines. Commanding the men are Capt. George Bracket (Gary Hagerman) and Commander William Harbison (Ipo Ross). A bevy of navy nurses completes the cast.
Supporting roles in the production are performed by Arlene Araki, Daniel Axelrod, Samantha Axelrod, Cassidy Balkus, Paula Beamer, Dawn Blankenship, Briana Boche, Sofia Boucher, Aukele Burke, Mariana Castillo, Harold Craig, Autumn Duquesne, Susie Henneke, Allison Hinkle, McCrae Johnston, Mary Kamitaki, Danielle Martin, Cassandra Mooter, Bryson Nagaoka, Rachel Pattison, Melanie Rufo, Maluhia Sanchez, Roberta Schmitz, Sebastian Schmitz, Lisa Shattuck, Wayne Straus, Aidan Wharton, Bailey Wharton and Marit Winborne.
Performance dates are July 31st - August 16th, with Friday and Saturday shows at 7:30 pm and Sunday matinees at 3:00 pm at the Parker historic theater in central Waimea. Advance sale tickets will soon be available at discounted price from the cast and at Waimea General Store. More information regarding this and other productions, can be obtained by calling 885-5818, visiting www.waimeacommunitytheatre.com, or via the WCT e-mail newsletter by sending a message to subscribe@waimeacommunitytheatre.org.
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