The company will be headed by opera star David Pittsinger as Emile de Becque. He will be joined by Heather Botts (Nellie Forbush), Jodi Kimura (Bloody Mary), Faye Bautista (Liat), Ross Lekites (Lt. Joseph Cable), George Merrick (Luther Billis), Joseph Dellger (Capt. George Brackett), Benjie Randall (Professor), Mark DiConzo (Stewpot), Mark Epperson (Cmdr. William Harbison), Micah Nalzaro (Jerome), Morgan Moss (Ngana), Happy McPartlin (Lead Nurse) and Darrell T. Joe (Henry).
The ensemble includes Madeleine Barker, Judy Cornell, Seth Danner, Shiloh Goodin, John Grieco, Patrick Lavallee, Alexander Levin, Christian Marriner, Ben Mayne, Garen McRoberts, Katie Mitchell, Jason Pintar, Matthew Charles Thompson and Karen Zondag.
The production will feature direction and scenic design by Allen D. Cornell, who is the producing artistic director of Riverside Theatre.
Composed by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan, South Pacific premiered on Broadway in 1949 and was an immediate hit, running for 1,925 performances.
The musical, based on James A. Michener's 1947 book "Tales of the South Pacific," "centers on an American nurse, Nellie Forbush, stationed on a South Pacific island during World War II who falls in love with a middle-aged French plantation owner, Emile de Becque, but struggles to accept his mixed-race children," according to press notes. "The romance between a U.S. officer, Lieutenant Cable, and a young Tonkinese woman, Liat, also explores the difficulties of cultural differences as Lieutenant Cable fears the social consequences should he marry his Asian sweetheart. The issue of racial prejudice is candidly explored throughout the musical, but most poignantly expressed in the song, 'You've Got to Be Carefully Taught.'" The design and technical crew includes DJ Salisbury (choreographer), Ken Clifton (music director), Yael Lubetzky (lighting design), Kurt Alger (wig/costume design), Craig Beyrooti (sound design), Richard Mason (assistant scenic design), Shiloh Goodin (assistant choreographer) with Mark Johnson (stage manager) and Ingrid Olson (assistant stage manager).
Tickets, priced $45-$70, can be purchased by calling the Box Office at (772) 231-6990 or online at www.riversidetheatre.com.
