THE Conservatory of Music of the University of Santo Tomas will stage the musical “South Pacific” on Feb. 21 and 22 at the Proscenium Theater in Rockwell, Makati as part of its 80th anniversary celebration.
Written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, the musical is based on stories by James Michener. It premiered in 1949 and received several Tony Awards during its original Broadway run.
Set during World War II, South Pacific follows American GIs stationed on a Pacific island. The narrative centers on issues of racial prejudice through the intertwined love stories of Ensign Nellie Forbush, a nurse who falls for French plantation owner Emile De Becque but struggles to accept his mixed-race children, and Lt. Joseph Cable, who develops a relationship with a local woman, Liat.
The score includes songs such as “Some Enchanted Evening,” “Bali Hai,” “Younger Than Springtime,” “Happy Talk” and “I’m in Love with a Wonderful Guy.”
The UST production stars singer and actress Ciara Sotto as Forbush and US-based singer and actor Jose Vera Perez as De Becque. Featured performers from the Conservatory include Sean Nolasco as Lt. Cable, Nenen Espina as Bloody Mary and Erika Salas as Liat. The production is directed by Paolo O’Hara with Daniel Bartolome as musical director, accompanied by the UST Symphony Orchestra.
Tickets are available through www.ticket2me.net and at the UST Conservatory of Music.