Musical Spotlight: South Pacific by Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II, and Joshua Logan (1950)

Description
The show is based on James A. Michener's Tales of the South Pacific, which won a Pulitzer Prize in 1947. Set in an unnamed South Pacific island, Nellie, an American nurse stationed there during WWII, falls in love with Emile, an expatriate and French plantation owner. Plot twist: Emile has multicultural children, but Nellie doesn't know . . . yet . . .

Then there is another romance a-brewin': A U.S. Marine Lieutenant named Cable (weird name, no?) arrives on the island and falls in love with Liat, one of the island's prominent matriarch's daughter.

Of course, political and racial tensions mount throughout the show. Overcoming prejudice is addressed throughout, especially near the ending.   

Candid Reaction
The lyrics to "Younger than Springtime" are hyperbolic, of course, but beautiful. I listened to the album while at Planet Fitness-- it was a weird experience. Not often do you find yourself all sweaty and thinking, I think those lyrics are about the sweetest words professing love I have ever heard. "Softer than starlight, are you, / Warmer than the winds of June" SENSORY LANGUAGE FOR THE WIN. Listen to it here. 

Top Two Aspects/Reasons for Winning
  1. Tackling Racism 
While the show is complicated and has many beautiful aspects to it, I argue that the biggest reason this show was awarded is because of its focus on overcoming racial prejudice. Context is important here. The show was written in 1949. The USA was fresh out of WWII and was approaching the most concentrated fight for Civil Rights. The song "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught" shook the nation due to its direct accusation that racism is taught, not part of genetics. Read the lyrics or listen to the song. 

 Rodgers and Hammerstein underwent heavy scrutiny; the show was accused for perhaps a Communist agenda. The musical was ahead of its time in its promotion of interracial relationships. To think of how much of a splash Hamilton made for its diverse casting and to consider the subject matter of this musical 70 years Hamilton's senior . . . I think it reveals how much appreciation there should be for South Pacific    

Classroom Implications
Perhaps some of the songs could complement poems/articles/books on race relations.

Personal Takeaway
Parts of the show felt racist when listening -- listening to the show without knowing the context of the show is always problematic. 

Ranking
TBD

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Rankings

9.75 -- Fences by August Wilson ( 1987 ) 9.5 -- The Subject Was Roses by Frank D. Gilroy (1965) 9.25 -- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams (1955) 9.25 -- The Gin Game by D.L. Coburn (1978) 9.25  --   Long Day's Journey into Night  by Eugene O'Neill  (1957) 9.25 -- Rabbit Hole by David Lindsay-Abaire (2007) 9.25 -- Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks ( 2002 ) 9.0 -- Angels in America, Part 1: Millennium Approaches: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes by Tony Kushner (1993)   9.0  --  Anna Christie  by Eugene O'Neill  (1922) 9.0 -- Cost of Living by Martyna Majok ( 2018 ) 9.0 -- Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller (1949) 9.0 -- Doubt by John Patrick Shanley (2005) 9.0 --  The Flick by Annie Baker (2014) 9.0 -- 'night, Mother by Marsha Norman (1983) 9.0 -- Water by the Spoonful by Quiara Alegria Hudes ( 2012 ) 8 .75 --  Beyond the Horizon by Eugene O'Neill (1920) 8.75 -- How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel ( 1998 ) 8.75 -- ...
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