David Pittsinger and Carmen Cusack to Star in Chicago Engagement of SOUTH PACIFIC, 11/24 - 11/29

Bob Boyett and NETworks Presentations announce casting for the Chicago area engagement of the National Tour of The Lincoln Center Theater Production of Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein's prize-winning musical SOUTH PACIFIC, directed by Bartlett Sher. The Tony Award-winning production will play the Rosemont Theatre for a limited one-week engagement Nov. 24 - 29, 2009. 

The Chicago engagement of the National Touring Company of Rodgers & Hammerstein's SOUTH PACIFIC will be led by internationally renowned bass-baritone David Pittsinger, who most recently portrayed Angelotti in "Tosca" at the Metropolitan Opera, as Emile de Becque and Carmen Cusack as Nellie Forbush, with Anderson Davis (Lt. Cable), Matthew Saldivar (Luther Billis), Keala Settle (Bloody Mary), Gerry Becker (Capt. Brackett), Peter Rini (Cmdr. Harbison), Sumie Maeda (Liat), Rusty Ross (Professor), original 2008 Broadway cast member Genson Blimline (Stewpot), Christina Carrera (Ngana) and CJ Palma (Jerome).

The ensemble will include Christopher Carl, Eric L. Christian (from the Broadway production), Jacqueline Colmer, Mike Evairste (from the Broadway production), Kate Fahrner, Nicholas Galbraith, Alexis G.B. Holt, Chad Jennings, Christopher Johnstone, Kristie Kerwin, Jodi Kimura, Joe Langworth, Maxine Linehan, Diane Phelan, John Pinto Jr, Travis Robertson, Josh Rouah, Tally Sessions, Kristen J. Smith, Matt Stokes, Gregory Williams and Victor Wisehart.

Critics lauded high praise for the National Tour's debut in San Francisco, CA:

"This is the South Pacific we've been waiting for" (San Francisco Chronicle)
"Shimmering romance in the ravishing score" (San Jose Mercury News)
"Fans of musical theatre shouldn't miss this show" (San Francisco Examiner)
"Incredibly vibrant production manages to be truthful and relevant; you're likely to forget every other South Pacific you've seen previously" (Theatermania.com).

Carmen Cusack "shines as Nellie Forbush" (Santa Cruz Sentinel) as she "achieves a delicious balance of sweet and smart" (San Francisco Examiner); and "her honeyed voice captures both Nellie's ‘cockeyed optimism and her brass" (San Jose Mercury News).

David Pittsinger previously played the role of Emile de Becque in the Broadway production at Lincoln Center Theatre, and joins the National Tour direct from his performance at the Metropolitan Opera which was praised as "a stirring performance" (The New York Times).

Anderson Davis as Lt. Joseph Cable, was hailed as "rich in exposed passion" (San Francisco Chronicle), giving an "artful, noteworthy performance" (Santa Cruz Sentinel) where he "combines machismo and sensitivity" (San Francisco Examiner). Matthew Saldivar is "energetic" (San Francisco Chronicle) and "a kick" (San Francisco Examiner). Keala Settle delivers a Bloody Mary that's "played with sass" (San Francisco Examiner) and "mesmerizing" (San Jose Mercury News).

Rodgers & Hammerstein's SOUTH PACIFIC swept the 2008 Tony Awards®, winning seven honors including Best Musical Revival and Best Director for Bartlett Sher. This breathtaking new production is still selling-out at the Vivian Beaumont Theater in an open-ended run on Broadway, lauded by the critics as "Simply Wonderful! Beguiling Theatrical Magic!" (New York Post), "Ravishing and Overwhelming" (Variety) and "Rapturous and Revelatory!" (The New York Times).

Based on James Michener's Pulitzer Prize winning book Tales of the South Pacific, Rodgers & Hammerstein's SOUTH PACIFIC has music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan.

Set on a tropical island during World War II, the musical tells the sweeping romantic story of two couples -- US Navy nurse Nellie Forbush and French plantation owner Emile de Becque and Navy Airman Joe Cable and a young local native girl Liat -- and how their happiness is threatened by the realities of war and by their own prejudices. Considered by many the finest musical ever written, the score's songs include such classics as "Some Enchanted Evening," "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair," "Younger Than Springtime," "Bali Ha'i," "There is Nothin' Like A Dame," "This Nearly Was Mine" and "A Wonderful Guy."

The lavish new production features a cast of 34, musical staging by Christopher Gattelli, sets by Michael Yeargan (winner of the 2008 Tony Award®), costumes by Catherine Zuber (winner of the 2008 Tony Award®), lighting by Donald Holder (winner of the 2008 Tony Award®), sound by Scott Lehrer (winner of the 2008 Tony Award®) and music direction by Ted Sperling. A full orchestra of 26 members - the largest orchestra of any touring Broadway production - will perform the original orchestrations by Robert Russell Bennett (winner of a Special 2008 Tony Award®) and dance and incidental music arranged by Trude Rittmann.

SOUTH PACIFIC comes to the Rosemont Theatre, 5400 N. River Road, Nov. 24 - 29, 2009. Tickets are $39.50 - $79.50 and can be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000. Tickets are also available for purchase at the Rosemont Theatre box office and at all Ticketmaster outlets. Groups of 15 or more, call GroupTix at 877-447-7849.

For more information on SOUTH PACIFIC visit www.SouthPacificOnTour.com or www.RosemontTheatre.com. Become a fan on Facebook (South Pacific on Tour).

Bartlett Sher (Director) Lincoln Center Theater: Joe Turner's Come and Gone, South Pacific (Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards), Awake and Sing (Tony nomination), The Light in the Piazza (Tony nomination). Artistic Director of Seattle's Intiman Theatre; credits there include: the world premieres of Prayer for My Enemy and Singing Forest by Craig Lucas (both also Long Wharf Theatre) and Nickel and Dimed; plays by Chekhov, Wilder, Shakespeare, Goldoni and Tony Kushner. Opera: Roméo et Juliette (Salzburg Festival), The Barber of Seville (Metropolitan Opera), Mourning Becomes Electra (Seattle Opera and New York City Opera). New York: Cymbeline (2001 Callaway Award for Best Director; first American Shakespeare at the Royal Shakespeare Company), Waste (2000 Best Play Obie), Don Juan (all TFANA). He is a member of the TCG Board.

David Pittsinger (Emile de Becque) Broadway: South Pacific (Lincoln Center). Metropolitan Opera: Tosca (also live HD cinemacast), Don Carlo, Rake's Progress, Giulio Cesare, La Bohème, The Magic Flute. NYCO: Don Giovanni (Don Giovanni), Nozze di Figaro (Figaro), Orlando (Zoroastro). U.S. & International credits include: Don Quichotte (Don Quichotte/Vienna, Teatro Colon Buenos Aires), Tosca (Scarpia/FGO), Nozze di Figaro (Count/La Opera) Faust (Mephistopheles/L'Arena Sferisterio, L'Opera de Montreal), Mefistofele (Mefistofele/I Solisti Veneti, Pittsburgh), Rake's Progress (Nick Shadow/Paris, Brussels, Hamburg, Bordeaux,), Carmen (Escamillo/Montpellier, Santa Fe). Orchestral appearance include: Vienna Philharmonic,, Salzburg Festival, Dresden Festival, NY Philharmonic, LA Philharmonic, ENO, St. Luke's Chamber Orchestra. Discography includes: Charles Ives Songs, La Calisto, Carlisle Floyd's Susanna. Awards: "Artist of the Year" Awards from NYCO and Pittsburgh Opera. MM: Yale.

Carmen Cusack (Nellie Forbush) Carmen is from Houston, TX, has spent the last two years playing Elphaba in Wicked (US National tour, Chicago and Australia productions). Her career prior was based in England. Recent West End credits include: Les Misérables (Fantine; UK, US & Shanghai), The Secret Garden (Rose; Royal Shakespeare Company), Personals (Kim), Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens (Chesty Prospects), Over the Rainbow (Eva Cassidy; UK & Ireland) and The Phantom of the Opera (Christine; UK National Tour). http://www.carmencusack.net/