SOUTH PACIFIC Comes To The New Jersey PAC, Closes 1/30

After sweeping the 2008 Tony Awards and enchanting audiences throughout the country, the Lincoln Center Theater Production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's SOUTH PACIFIC - featuring the largest orchestra of any Broadway production currently on tour - will close at Prudential Hall in the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) January 30, 2012.

Tri-state area audiences will have a rare second chance to see the Bartlett Sher-directed show that enthralled Broadway during its original run at Lincoln Center in New York City. The NJPAC performances, which feature David Pittsinger reprising his acclaimed Broadway turn as Emile deBecque, will kick off Wednesday, January 26 at 7:30 p.m. and continue Thursday, January 27th at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m.; Friday, January 28th at 8 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 29th at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sunday, January 30 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets for performances on Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday evening range from $24 to $90. Tickets for performances on Friday and Saturday, and the Sunday matinee, range from $26 to $100. Tickets may be purchased by telephone at 1-888-GO-NJPAC (1-888-466-5722), by visiting the NJPAC Box Office at One Center Street in downtown Newark, or online at www.njpac.org. Rodgers & Hammerstein's SOUTH PACIFIC is sponsored in part by Cadillac, TD Bank, New Jersey State Council on the Arts and Discover Jersey Arts.

This revival of SOUTH PACIFIC won seven honors at the 2008 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival and Best Director for Bartlett Sher. The breathtaking staging features a cast of 34 and a full orchestra of 26 members. The production completed a sold out 2 ½ year run at the Vivian Beaumont Theater on Broadway on August 22, 2010 (after playing 1,000 performances) and was recently featured on PBS' 'Live from Lincoln Center' series.

The National Touring Company of Rodgers & Hammerstein's SOUTH PACIFIC will be led by David Pittsinger (Emile de Becque) and Carmen Cusack (Nellie Forbush), with Anderson Davis (Lt. Cable), Timothy Gulan (Luther Billis), Jodi Kimura (Bloody Mary), Gerry Becker (Capt. Brackett), Peter Rini (Cmdr. Harbison), Sumie Maeda (Liat), Rusty Ross (Professor), original 2008 Broadway cast member Genson Blimline (Stewpot), Troi Zee (Ngana) and Luka Kain (Jerome).

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, SOUTH PACIFIC tells the grand romantic story of two couples whose happiness is threatened not only by the realities of war, but also by their own prejudices. The timeless score include "Some Enchanted Evening," "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair," "There is Nothin' Like a Dame," and more.

The ensemble will include Frenie Acoba, Christopher Carl, Christian Carter, Eric L. Christian, Jacqueline Colmer, MaryAnn Hu, Robert Hunt, Rashaan James Ii, Chad Jennings, Christopher Johnstone, Kristie Kerwin, Julia Osborne, Kate Pazakis, Diane Phelan, John Pinto Jr., Greg Roderick, Bret Shuford, Kristen J. Smith, Matt Stokes, Gregory Williams, Victor J. Wisehart and Amos Wolff.

The San Francisco Chronicle lauded the tour as "Electric!" and "the South Pacific we've been waiting for," while The Chicago Sun-Times called the production "a tribute to the sublime beauty of this musical, filled with gorgeous voices and astonishing emotional depth." The Houston Chronicle said the musical is "superbly sung and powerfully acted" and called the touring cast "equal of the New York team."

For more information on the production, visit www.SouthPacificOnTour.com.

South Pacific is the inaugural production from the partnership between NJPAC and Nederlander Presentations. Established in 1912 by David Nederlander, Nederlander Presentations is a family-owned company run by James M. and James L. Nederlander who own and/or operate world-renowned theaters in the United States and England, including in New York: the Brooks Atkinson, the Gershwin, the Lunt-Fontanne, the Marquis, the Minskoff, the Nederlander, the Neil Simon, the Palace, and the Richard Rodgers. It has remained prominent for three generations in the management and operation of theaters and productions of distinguished entertainment. In addition, the company is a major producer of national touring Theater Productions.

New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located in downtown Newark, New Jersey, is the sixth largest performing arts center in the United States. As New Jersey's Town Square, NJPAC brings diverse communities together, providing access to all and showcasing the State's and the world's best artists while acting as a leading catalyst in the revitalization of its home city. Through its extensive Arts Education programs, NJPAC is shaping the next generation of artists and arts enthusiasts.

NJPAC has attracted over 6 million visitors (more than one million children) since opening its doors in 1997, and nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships with each of its constituents. Visit www.njpac.org for more information.

Programming has been made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, by funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, and by Discover Jersey Arts.

NJPAC is a wheelchair accessible facility and provides assistive services for patrons with disabilities. For more information, call 888-GO-NJPAC.

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