Womack and Szot to Star in UK SOUTH PACIFIC; Opens August 23

Talked about for months and now finally official, Paulo Szot, who has recently emerged as one of the most exciting voices in opera and who won a Tony for his performance as Emile de Becque in the Lincoln Center Theater (Andre Bishop, Artistic Director, Bernard Gersten, Executive Producer) production of SOUTH PACIFIC, will be recreating the role of the French plantation owner at the Barbican Centre in London, where the production will run for a limited season of 7 weeks only from 15 August to 1 October, with an opening night on 23 August.

Last year, Paulo made a triumphant Metropolitan Opera debut in their new production of Shostakovich's The Nose. His appearances with the New York City Opera include L'Elisir d'Amore, Le Nozze di Figaro, and Carmen. He will be sharing the role of Emile with Welsh National Opera star Jason Howard. Joining them will be Samantha Womack in the role of Nellie Forbush. This marks a return to theatre by Samantha. Her previous credits on stage include Harold Pinter's Betrayal, and the Donmar production in the West End of Guys and Dolls (as Adelaide). Most recently, she was seen on BBC 1 in Famous, Rich and in the Slums with Lenny Henry, Angela Rippon and Reggie Yates for Comic Relief. Also starring in the Barbican run of SOUTH PACIFIC will be Daniel Koek, (following his acclaimed performance as Tony in the recent hit production of West Side Story), as Lt Joe Cable, Alex Ferns (Nathan Detroit in Donmar's Guys and Dolls), as Luther Billis, and Loretta Ables Sayre reprising her Lincoln Center Tony-nominated performance of Bloody Mary.

Metropolitan Opera's Bartlett Sher's hailed production of SOUTH PACIFIC reinvented the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical and played to sold-out houses on Broadway for two years and is currently selling out across North America. This was the first Broadway production the Rodgers & Hammerstein Estate had allowed to be staged since the musical originally opened in 1949 and ran for almost five years. Considered one of the finest musicals ever written, the score includes Some Enchanted Evening, I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair, Bali Ha'i, I'm in Love with a Wonderful Guy, Younger than Springtime, Happy Talk and There is Nothin' Like a Dame.

Set on a tropical island during World War II, this is the sweeping romantic story of two couples, threatened by the realities of war and by their own prejudices. Its portrayal of Americans stationed in an unfamiliar culture in wartime remains as relevant today as when it first thrilled audiences.

Featuring a cast of 40 and an orchestra of 25, this is a ravishing and breathtaking production, which is brought to the UK by the entire Lincoln Center creative team, led by director Bartlett Sher, with musical staging by Christopher Gattelli, sets by Michael Yeargan, costumes by Catherine Zuber, lighting by Donald Holder, sound by Scott Lehrer, musical direction by Ted Sperling and original orchestrations by Robert Russell Bennett.

The nationwide tour opens on 12 October in Milton Keynes. Full details below.

The Lincoln Center Theater production of SOUTH PACIFIC is produced at the Barbican Centre and on tour by Bob Boyett, Bob Bartner, Howard Panter for the Ambassador Theatre Group, and Genesius Theatrical Productions in association with Promenade Productions.

For further details, please visit www.southpacificonstage.com.