Theater News

William Michals to Cover for Paolo Szot in Broadway’s South Pacific Until July 7 Return

New York City

May 19, 2010

William Michals will play the role of Emile de Becque in the Broadway production of South Pacific, at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater, June 1-July 4. Tony Award winner Paolo Szot will be taking a leave of absence for an opera engagement in Europe, exiting the musical following the May 30 performance, and returning beginning Wednesday, July 7. Szot will then perform the part through the musical’s scheduled closing date of August 22.

Michals has been understudying the role since the show premiered and has performed as Emile on many occasions. His credits also include Beauty and the Beast on Broadway, and tours of The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Music Man, Les Misérables, Man of La Mancha, and The Phantom of the Opera. He is a frequent concert performer, and has released the CD, william michals – broadway in concert.

Bartlett Sher has directed this musical, based on James Michener’s Tales of the South Pacific, and featuring music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein, and a book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan. The production, which also stars Laura Osnes as Ensign Nellie Forbush, won 7 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival as well as the Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Drama League Award for Best Musical Revival.

For more information, visit www.lct.org.