[NEohioPAL] KENNELLY REVIEW: South Pacific at Ohio Light Opera

[Laura Kennelly]

Celebrating its 41st year and with a packed house, Ohio Light Opera in
Wooster opened this year’s summer season with a lively production of *South
Pacific*, the 1949 classic by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II.

The now-familiar story, based loosely on James Mitchener’s *Tales of the
South Pacific*, celebrates love and notes its dangers. Set during World War
II, the story takes place on two islands (one, the ever-mysterious “Bali
Ha’i”) occupied by US military forces.

An island resident, the wealthy French planter Emile de Becque (Aidan
Smerud), throws a party for the Americans and it is there he meets nurse
Nellie Forbush (Sarah Best). Ah, love at first sight! Smerud’s rich
bass/baritone voice makes swooningly delightful work of  “Some Enchanted
Evening” and “This Nearly Was Mine.” As Nellie, his love interest, Best
also captures the romantic beauty in their songs together, especially in
“This Is How It Feels.”

In a secondary plot, Lt. Joe Cable (Alan Smith) romantically courts Liat
(Lauren Nash Silberstein), the fetching (but non-singing) native girl.
Although this story inspires the lyric song “Younger Than Springtime,”
today it’s hard to feel romantic about it. We have to cast aside our doubts
about her mother (a hilarious Bloody Mary played by Michelle Pedersen), an
enterprising woman who “sells” her daughter to Cable. Times have really
changed.
Full Review at Coolcleveland link below
https://coolcleveland.com/2019/06/theater-review-south-pacific-ohio-light-opera-by-laura-kennelly/
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