If time or budget constraints got in the way of the Tahitian
vacation you had planned this summer, the San Benito Stage Company
has prepared the next best thing: Rogers and Hammerstein’s
classic
”
South Pacific
”
runs this weekend and next at the San Benito High School
auditorium.
If time or budget constraints got in the way of the Tahitian vacation you had planned this summer, the San Benito Stage Company has prepared the next best thing: Rogers and Hammerstein’s classic “South Pacific” runs this weekend and next at the San Benito High School auditorium.
“This is the ideal summer musical,” said Heidi Henderson, the show’s director. “It’s a wonderful story with great tunes.”
“South Pacific” chronicles two love stories against the backdrop of World War II. The first involves Lt. Joe Cable (played by Adam Harlow) and a young Polynesian girl, Liat (Cristal Duran). Their romance is a cultural taboo on par with Romeo and Juliet.
The second revolves around nurse Nellie Forbush (Kat Shattuck), a young girl from Arkansas, who falls in love with Emile De Becque (Dean Grover), an older French planter with two Polynesian children. As the war rages closer to the island, what starts out as lighthearted musical comedy turns to thought-provoking, sometimes heart-wrenching drama.
Based on James Michener’s “Tales from the South Pacific,” the original production ran on Broadway from 1949-1954 with 1,925 productions, making it the second longest running musical of the decade. “South Pacific” features standard songs recognized around the world– “Bali Ha’i,” “Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair,” and “Some Enchanted Evening,” to name a few.
The Stage Company actors range from elementary school students to the recently retired. Some performers have been with the company since its inception in 1999, while others, like Dean Grover, have never set foot on the stage.
“It’s been a challenge, but I’d do it all over again,” he said. “I’ve never sung in public, but we’ve been rehearsing since May, and I can really hear a difference. I commute to work one hour each way, and I’ve been singing along to my CD every time.”
“This is my passion,” said Christian Barrera, who plays Luther Billis and has acted with the Stage Company since its initial production of “The Wizard of Oz.” “It’s the one thing I do solely for myself. I was in my first show when I was 13 years old – that means I’ve spent about half my life doing theater here in Hollister. I’ve seen kids grow up on this stage – literally as well as actors.”
“In a lot of ways, this is the hardest shows I’ve ever had to do,” said Kat Shattuck. “I haven’t been involved since I graduated high school, and usually I play funny, over-the-top characters. But Nellie is very close to me. It kind of feels like if the audience doesn’t like my character, they won’t like me personally, either. But that makes it ten times more rewarding,too.”
Showtimes are 8pm for tonight, the 22nd and 23rd, and 2 pm for the 17th and 24th. Tickets are $15, available at the door or in advance by visiting Just Friends, Heatherfields or calling 636-0122.
