Unit 3 - South Pacific
The Politics of Race Before The Civil Rights
“And their [Rodgers & Hammerstein] way of making a hit was perhaps the opposite of what one might think: they pushed themselves even further. They chose a contemporary story, ripped from the headlines. They wrote it for two stars. They used no choreography. And in Joshua Logan [director] they took on a theater artist of equal stature. Nothing was taken for granted. And as a result, everyone did extraordinary work.”
Ted Chapin, President of R&H - “The South Pacific Companion”
Essential Questions:
How did South Pacific become a Broadway musical?
How did South Pacific push a conversation about race on the national level?
What themes in South Pacific still resonate in 2020, and how do you continue to elevate those themes even further?
A Quick Look:
South Pacific 2008 Revival Montage
A montage of scenes from Lincoln Center Theater's Tony-award winning production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's SOUTH PACIFIC, directed by Bartlett Sher.
March 1, 2008 - August 22, 2010 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater.
