On Thursday night, Lincoln Center Theatre opened its rapturous revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific, with Kelli O’Hara and Paulo Szot giving amazing performances as lovers Nellie Forbush and Emile DeBecque.
Director Bartlett Sher, a two-time Tony Award nominee for his previous Lincoln Center work, is a strong contender to take home the prize this year.
Matthew Morrison, who worked with O’Hara and Sher in LCT’s The Light in the Piazza, is stunning as the troubled Joe Cable.
Danny Burstein, who is hilarious as cut-up Luther Billis, was joined at the show’s party by wife Rebecca Luker, currently starring in Broadway’s Mary Poppins.
Broadway newcomers Li Jun Li and Loretta Ables Sayre play mother-and-daughter Liat and Bloody Mary.
Stage and television favorite Skipp Sudduth portrays the hard-nosed Captain Brackett.
The opening night featured a rare appearance by Alice Hammerstein Matthias, lyricist Oscar Hammerstein’s daughter.
Here’s Richard Rodgers’ daughter, Mary Rodgers Guettel, composer of Once Upon a Mattress and proud mama of Piazza composer-lyricist Adam Guettel.
Tony winner James Naughton had a good reason to attend the opening: he’s Kelli O’Hara’s father-in-law.
Fellow Tony winner Dick Latessa came out to cheer Morrison, his co-star in the original Broadway company of Hairspray.
Here’s Hairspray director Jack O’Brien, who also won Tony Awards for his work at Lincoln Center on The Coast of Utopia and Henry IV.
Susan Stroman, director of the current Broadway hit Young Frankenstein, made a splash at Lincoln Center with the dance-musical Contact.
Composer Stephen Flaherty is no stranger to Lincoln Center, which has produced his musicals A Man of No Importance, Dessa Rose, and The Glorious Ones.
William Finn had his landmark musical A New Brain presented at Lincoln Center.
Finally, here’s the ageless Broadway star Alice Playten, a veteran of such legendary musicals as Gypsy and Hello, Dolly!
For TheaterMania’s review of South Pacific, click here.
