Music Circus' SOUTH PACIFIC Begins 7/22

The Rodgers and Hammerstein classic South Pacific, a universally acclaimed musical theatre masterpiece, is the third show in the 2014 Music Circus season at the Wells Fargo Pavilion, the 64th season for the venerable Sacramento institution. Performances take place July 22 - 27.

A love story for the ages, South Pacific features some of the most beautiful music ever composed for theatre. Love transcends both the harsh realities of war and social stereotypes in this sweeping tale that won a Pulitzer Prize and 10 Tony Awards. The lush score includes the musical theatre favorites "Some Enchanted Evening," "Bali Ha'I," "There Is Nothin' Like a Dame" and "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair." Variety said of the show, "From the seductive swell of a full orchestra playing the glorious overture through the poignant final tableau of love and reconciliation, this is ravishing theatre."

Tickets for South Pacific range from $35 to $80, and are available by phone at (916) 557-1999, online at Tickets.com, or in person at the Wells Fargo Pavilion Box Office, 1419 H Street in Sacramento. Evening performances are Tuesday through Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Matinee performances are Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. For more information visit SacramentoMusicCircus.com.

The role of Nellie Forbush will be played by Music Circus veteran Beth Malone, who originated the role of June Carter Cash in the Broadway production of Ring of Fire and recently originated the role of Alison in the critically-acclaimed off-Broadway musical Fun Home, a finalist for the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Playing Emile de Becque is Broadway veteran John Cudia, who holds the honor of being the only actor to have performed as both the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera and Jean Valjean in LES MISERABLES on Broadway. Armelia McQueen, who returns to reprise the role of Bloody Mary at Music Circus, made her Broadway debut in the Tony Award-winning show Ain't Misbehavin' and is now a veteran of the Broadway stage and Hollywood screen. Reprising the role of Lt. Joseph Cable at Music Circus will be Eric Kunze, whose Broadway credits include LES MISERABLES, Miss Saigon and Damn Yankees and who has appeared in a number of Music Circus productions including Disney's The Little Mermaid, Evita, Whistle Down the Wind and Jesus Christ Superstar. Jeff Skowron, who created and starred in his show "Greg and Donny" on IFC and whose Broadway productions include How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Beauty and the Beast and High Society, will play Luther Billis. Ron Wisniski, who has appeared in a number of Music Circus productions, including LES MISERABLES, Annie Get Your Gun and Spamalot, as well as in dozens of touring Broadway, off-Broadway and regional theatre productions, will play Capt. George Brackett.

Shannon Stoeke, who has performed in a number of regional and touring productions including Camelot, Hair, Assassins, The Glass Menagerie and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, will play Professor. Stewpot will be played by Mark Bradley Miller, who has extensive international and national theatre experience in productions including South Pacific, Funny Girl, Closer Than Ever and Beauty and the Beast. The role of Cmdr. William Harbison will be played by Michael Stevenson, who has extensive regional theatre experience and who is the co-director of the B Street Theatre Conservatory. Briahna Yee, who has performed in a number of productions across the Sacramento region, including The Crucible and Spring Awakening, will play Liat. The cast also includes two young actors from the Sacramento area: Ayanna Navarro returns to Music Circus to play Ngana, after her first musical theatre role in last season's The King and I; Matthew Feniger will make his Music Circus debut in the role of Jerome after performing in a number of Sacramento junior productions.

The Director for South Pacific is Glenn Casale, who has been Artistic Director for California Musical Theatre since 2008 and has directed more than 50 productions for Music Circus and Broadway Sacramento over the past 20 years. Choreographer is John MacInnis, who was Associate Choreographer for The Book of Mormon and Aladdin on Broadway, and whose wide-ranging experience includes directing and choreographing the Olympic Medals Ceremonies at the 2010 and 2002 Olympic Games. Musical Director is James May, who has a variety of national and international experience, including Broadway and touring shows such as LES MISERABLES, Sunset Boulevard, A Chorus Line, La Cage Aux Folles, Kiss Me, Kate, Man of La Mancha and Beauty and the Beast.

Music Circus is produced under the leadership of Artistic Director Glenn Casale and Executive Producer Scott Klier. California Musical Theatre President and CEO is Richard Lewis.

For more information visit SacramentoMusicCircus.com.

To post a comment, you must register and login.