South Pacific--the new Broadway cast recording on CD

Having liked Kelli O'Hara in previous shows in which I encountered her, I was looking forward to listening to this new Broadway version of South Pacific. I was also interested to hear Paulo Szot's singing as he has made a splash for his other attributes. Nothing disappointed.

I've never seen this show on stage, but have seen the film many times, and previously discussed a concert version with Reba McIntyre. I can't discuss in depth the book of this show, but if it is half as good as the music, then it's pretty good.

One of the things I like about this show, is that R&H have continued to develop the new ideas that they've introduced in their previous shows. South Pacific has twin soliloquies, which build on the solo soliloquy in Carousel. Rather than a dream ballet, the dance moment morphs into the Thanksgiving Follies. The writers are not just routinely inserting formats that worked before, but are conforming them to the world of the story. Can you imagine the dream ballet with Billis, Stewpot and the other sailors?

Kelli O'Hara continues to impress me with her vocal talents. In the little bit of dialogue included on this disc, she has taken on a thick Southwestern drawl which annoyed me. But as Ms. O'Hara is a native of Oklahoma, I'll trust that she's gotten the Arkansas patterns right.

I was surprise that Paulo Szot's voice isn't a little darker in color, although that may be vocal the ghosts of Ezio Pinza and Brian Stokes Mitchell in my ears. Mr. Szot sings everything well and handles the high notes with easy.

I'm a little depressed to note, however, that Mr. Szot is four years younger than I am. I had hopes my ingenue days were still in full bloom.

South Pacific

Music by Richard Rodgers

Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

Book by Joshua Logan

Opened originally in 1949, this production in 2008

Cast: Kelli O'Hara, Paulo Szot, Danny Burstein, Matthew Morrison, Loretta Able Sayres