O’Hara and Szot Cast in Lincoln Center’s South Pacific

Kelli O’Hara will play Nellie Forbush and Paulo Szot will play Emile deBecque in Lincoln Center’s Broadway revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic 1949 musical South Pacific, to be directed by Bartlett Sher. The production will begin performances March 1 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater, with an opening night set for April 3. Additional casting will be announced at a later date.

The musical is based on James Michener’s Tales of the South Pacific, and features music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein, and a book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan. It received the 1950 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

O’Hara is a two-time Tony Award nominee, for The Light in the Piazza at Lincoln Center and the recent revival of The Pajama Game. Her other Broadway credits include The Sweet Smell of Success, Dracula, and Jekyll & Hyde.

Szot, who will be making his Broadway debut in this production, is an internationally acclaimed baritone whose previous New York credits include New York City Opera productions of L’Elisir d’Amore, Carmen and Le Nozze di Figaro.

The creative team will include Michael Yeargan (sets), Catherine Zuber (costumes), Donald Holder (lighting), Scott Lehrer (sound), and Ted Sperling (musical direction).