Just Released: 2010/11 Annual Report to the Community - The Four Seasons in Review

The Fox Cities Performing Arts Center is pleased to share its
2010/11 Annual Report to the Community – The Four Seasons in Review. 

Click here to view the report online!

Falling Fast for South Pacific

As the "Overture" opens each performance of Rodgers & Hamerstein’s South Pacific this week at the Fox Cities P.A.C., the audience is clearly swept away as its first Broadway revival since 1949 brings alive the music and magic of an American classic.

Whether we’re entranced by a love story, entertained with timeless humor, taken by the military memories or thrilled by the sounds of a bygone era, we’re falling fast for South Pacific!

REVIEW: Fox Cities Performing Arts Center off to a brilliant start with 'South Pacific'
 
NEWS: 'South Pacific' theme no easy score for Fox Valley musicians
Community Reviews

Themes in 'South Pacific' of facing prejudice and overcoming racism still relevant today

Great seats are still available for performances tonight through Sunday. Visit foxcitiespac.com for details!

Community Review: Rankin File - South Pacific

It may be because my father was in the South Pacific in WWII, or perhaps because I was there 27 years later for the next war.  It may be because the Michener narrative projected on the stage reminding me of iridescent blue green water and pearl white sand.  But, as suggested by Michener, I loved this production because of the people. This production was a joy.  

Anyone who has hoped to someday hear the magnificence of a Welsh Baritone resonating the difficult and plaintive  “This Nearly Was Mine” with a voice that effortlessly resonated power as if from the deepest peddle pipe of a great cathedral organ must see this production.  Jason Howard as Emile de Becque was better than I could have imagined possible.  Carmen Cusack as Ensign Nellie Forbush was perfectly cast and was a delight.  Washing your hair on stage is no easy task, but even harder is singing afterward with a wet head.  I loved the contrast of voices between Cusack and Howard. As their characters dictated they were as different as Dinah Shore and Bryn Terfel, but together and separately they made beautiful music. Bravo!  

Other notes: 

• The sound was right on making every word understandable, and every note heard.  Many productions these days don’t seem to think it necessary to hear the words.
• The orchestra and its orchestration was a treat.  Who does it better than Rogers/Bennett?   I noticed many local musicians.  I saw the New York version several weeks ago on PBS and thought this orchestra was at least as good if not better. (Maybe it’s my TV.)
• I appreciated the staging, and the attention to detail in the theme of segregation, but was blown away with the interpretation of “The Beach” and the movement of troops to a new location.  For me, this kind of impressionism is what it’s all about.  
• Jodi Kimura, as Bloody Mary, captured the part and played it very well.
• Did anyone notice that a couple of the sailors were a bit “cheeky”? 

Community Review: South Pacific, A Performance That Stays With You

Last night after seeing Roger & Hammerstein's South Pacific at the Fox Cities P.A.C., I left with a feeling of hope and a little bounce in my step. After Carmen Cusack's, who played Nellie, opening number I could tell the show was filled with a compelling story line accompanied with strong vocals. South Pacific's magnifcent stage design and costumes, intriguing plot and the talented performers made me feel like I was right there on the naval base with them.

The first thing I noticed when the show began, was the beautiful set and costumes. Everything was very detailed and intricate, which helped me feel like I was on the island. The back-drop of the Bali Ha'i island added so much mystery to the performance, it made me want to escape to the island as much as Billis and Joe wanted to. One prop I especially enjoyed was the massive plane that sat on the left side of the stage for most of Act I. The accuracy in the costumes from the swimming suits to the shoes and naval uniforms were very impressive.

Obviously this performance could not have been so great without the talented performers. Each character was so strong and played their part with so much dedication from start  to finish. From Billis' quirks, Nellie's intense passion and Bloody Mary's ridiculousness, each character developed throughout the play beautfully and made each part quite enjoyable to watch. The singing was incredible and each song was sang with passion. The group numbers were so strong and filled with individual talent yet flowed together perfectly.

The themes of love and running away to something better were carried flawlessly throughout the whole performance. Even at 17, I could relate and enjoyed how the problems progressed throughout the show.

At the end of the show I felt sad, hopeful, relieved, everything the characters felt. I left with a little bounce in my step as the songs stuck in my head. Overall, I was extremely pleased and impressed. Anyone planning to go see the show will not regret it!

Community Review: South Pacific 9/14/10

When doing my research on South Pacific I found it to be a story of two romances that takes place on a naval base in the South Pacific. After seeing the show, it's so much more than simple love stories. The show entices you with beautiful sets and then completely envelops you with its energy, comedy, emotion and athletic ability. 

Since I am not a military aficionado, I appreciate how Rodgers and Hammerstein brought forward the military theme and characters without getting too technical or detailed. They incorporated humor and action with the military jargon to keep me entertained.

My hats off to the lighting crew in this production. They were able to offer the audience a crystal blue ocean, stunning sunsets and warplanes that seem to fly directly at us. (At one point I believe I ducked down in my seat just to be on the safe side). It was a fantastic addition to the show.

My only negative comment was to the few audience members who fled the auditorium as soon as the house lights came on. I appreciate the responsibilities we all have to rush back too, however, this cast just performed an incredible 3-hour show solely for our entertainment and I believe that showing them our appreciation through a few moments of applause is not a lot to ask.

I encourage your feedback and enjoy the show.

Community Review: I Am Impressed

Last night I attended the Lincoln Center Theater Production of Roger & Hammerstein's South Pacific at the Fox Cities P.A.C., and it was flawless! But, that wasn't the first word I used to describe it this morning to my elderly mom, who I call every morning first thing. When she asked, "How was it?" I could only spurt single words, like "refreshing," and "inspiring." I told her that it was "energetic," unable even to begin forming full sentences or brief summaries. I just didn't know where to begin. I loved all of it, but words are too simplistic to convey that!

This show, a part of the Broadway Across America series, is a magnificent, timely, nostalgic reminder of my mother's generation, yet just as significant for me and my children (and grandchildren) today. It's themes are universal and poignant. America is still at war; people still fall in love with inconvenient others. And, sadly, we haven't eliminated biases toward groups of people; we've only changed the targets.

I've read all the James Michener books, including Tales of the South Pacific, and I've seen other versions of this musical. However, this was the best interpretation of the era, and its emotional rollercoaster, that I have experienced.

The cast is widely talented. What a delight to be transported to all those sentimental areas on the voice of the incredible Jason Howard, as Emile de Becque! WOW! How inspiring to see the multi-talented Carmen Cusack as Ensign Nellie Forbush. This lady can act; she can dance; and she sings like an angel.

South Pacific is humorous at times (Jodi Kimura portraying Bloody Mary), heart-breaking at other times (Sumie Maeda portraying Liat) as when the sins of war are punished and innocent individuals lose all they truly care about.

Overall, it's just great entertainment - flawless, really, from the cast to the costumes, to the sets; and,all carried by some of the greatest orchestral Broadway music ever, performed by an orchestra right there at the front of the room. Inspiring. The acoustics of the Center are marvelous; the theater, perfect for such a Broadway show.

South Pacific is an awesome talent-packed, colorful show, and everyone who sees it will undoubtedly be both entertained and challenged by its smart dialogue and lyrical music. If you get a chance, it's definitely worth the trip; you won't be disappointed.

Community Review: Nothing Else Is Built The Same

I’ve always been a Rodgers & Hammerstein junkie (I don't mind admitting that for nearly as long as I can remember, Oklahoma! has been my favorite musical). When I was younger, however, I wasn’t hooked by South Pacific; the music is catchy, Billis and Bloody Mary are hilarious, so why couldn’t I get into this show? As I’ve gotten older, I realize that what the problem was, to quote Oscar Hammerstein, “nothing else is built the same.” South Pacific is a nuanced, yet whimsical look at several very deep and often dark subjects: war, prejudice, and yes, love. As I kid, I didn’t “get” these topics, so I didn’t “get” the show.

 As I got ready to see South Pacific last night, I wondered what must have been changed, updated, to make the show relatable and fresh more than 60 years after it debuted. The answer I found, is nothing! This production of South Pacific offered nostalgia without feeling dated. All of the songs were beautifully sung and staged (when Jason Howard finished “Some Enchanted Evening” the audience’s excitement was palpable). South Pacific follows the old musical model of spontaneously bursting into song and dance (in new shows, there is orchestration playing through most of the show so the songs don’t feel quite as unnatural) but managed to make it feel normal. There is the light humor I remembered from childhood, and a wealth of more adult jokes that were new to me as I viewed the show through grown-up eye! Rodgers & Hammerstein were able to leave you feeling happy and but there is a somberness to the entire show that you cannot, and should not, escape. Even the end, the standard "happily ever after" that you find in shows from the Golden Era of the Musical, had a dark cloud over it as all of the sailors, seabees, and marines we've spent the entire show falling in love with, ship out to face the bloodiest period in WWII's Pacific Theater.

 Finally, I wouldn’t be me (a history-nerd through and through) if I didn’t say that I really appreciated the care this production took to historical accuracy! The costumes were well researched and gorgeous! I was floored when a whole airplane was rolled out onstage for much of Act I. More than any of that was the subtle approaches to race (one of the most prominent themes of the show) the show took. Through careful staging and the great acting within the Company, it was obvious that the issues of race confronting Nellie, Emile, Lt. Cable, and Liat really were very deep and pervasive. The obvious spoken and sung sentiments regarding issues of race give the audience the promps needed to know that this is a history piece, yet "You Have to be Carefully Taught" felt as fresh and relevant today as it must have been 60 years ago. There were many subtle ways the show illustrated the depth and acceptance of racism that was present in the 1940s; the military in WWII was a segregated, and that fact was shown to the audience, though never stated. The updates I had expected to see can be found in all of these subtleties and complexities.  South Pacific is a classic for a reason, and I'm so happy to say that now I get it!

Musical Warfare

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific isn’t just a classic like a fabulous forties dress, taken out of the attic, dusted off and matched with a pair of red pumps for a night out. September 14-19, the Fox Cities P.A.C. will present a historical piece of art, refurbished with care and refinished to its original Broadway luster to capture drama and emotion of World War II Era America.

But as Ensign Nellie Forbush flaunts her pixie pin curls and forties swimsuit, anchor your experience with the thought that back in 1949 South Pacific touched hearts still freshly wounded from World War II. Just four years after V-J Day, Broadway theatergoers took their seats to experience scenes of sailors in the South Pacific that surely must have brought back recent memories of news stories and letters home, and for veterans, war.

But South Pacific is far from the only musical inspired to face war with songs and choreography. As you think back to your favorite shows, how many titles are set during mankind’s darkest hours? From obvious titles like Miss Saigon, Hair and Les Miserables to the less obvious social warfare in shows like RENT and West Side Story, the list of wartime musicals goes on and on.

It’s almost easy to forget that a musical like The Sound of Music (spoiler alert to the three people in the world who haven’t seen Julie Andrews as Fraline Maria) ends with the Von Trapp family fleeing the Nazis over the Swiss Alps. Weren’t they just singing songs about whiskers on kittens, turning 17 and a little alpine flower called Edelweiss?

Even now, Green Day’s American Idiot is drawing crowds on Broadway to a show that deals with a war still being fought by American soldiers. But why does war play a central role in so many musicals?

Perhaps it’s because war serves as a catalyst of change and introduces elements of the extreme that contrast themes of right and wrong, love and hate, triumph and defeat. Perhaps its because war forces people into action and into situations that are unusual and surreal. Perhaps its because people need the arts to understand the human experience, and musicals allow us, as artists and audiences, to approach something with which we struggle to define and accept.

Whatever the reason for wartime musicals, have no fear, Rodgers and Hammerstein mastered the balance between reality and make believe. South Pacific will take you on an amazing adventure, back in time, across an ocean to a world in which an active combat marine falls in love amidst the tune of “Happy Talk.”

Did I leave any titles out that deserve a mention? What’s your favorite wartime musical, and what makes work for you?

Share your thoughts and reactions to Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific here on the Fox Cities P.A.C. Blog!

Check out this great read highlighting why South Pacific is still engaging audiences today!

Musical Warfare

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific isn’t just a classic like a fabulous forties dress, taken out of the attic, dusted off and matched with a pair of red pumps for a night out. September 14-19, the Fox Cities P.A.C. will present a historical piece of art, refurbished with care and refinished to its original Broadway luster to capture drama and emotion of World War II Era America.

But as Ensign Nellie Forbush flaunts her pixie pin curls and forties swimsuit, anchor your experience with the thought that back in 1949 South Pacific touched hearts still freshly wounded from World War II. Just four years after V-J Day, Broadway theatergoers took their seats to experience scenes of sailors in the South Pacific that surely must have brought back recent memories of news stories and letters home, and for veterans, war.

But South Pacific is far from the only musical inspired to face war with songs and choreography. As you think back to your favorite shows, how many titles are set during mankind’s darkest hours? From obvious titles like Miss Saigon, Hair and Les Miserables to the less obvious social warfare in shows like RENT and West Side Story, the list of wartime musicals goes on and on.

It’s almost easy to forget that a musical like The Sound of Music (spoiler alert to the three people in the world who haven’t seen Julie Andrews as Fraline Maria) ends with the Von Trapp family fleeing the Nazis over the Swiss Alps. Weren’t they just singing songs about whiskers on kittens, turning 17 and a little alpine flower called Edelweiss?

Even now, Green Day’s American Idiot is drawing crowds on Broadway to a show that deals with a war still being fought by American soldiers. But why does war play a central role in so many musicals?

Perhaps it’s because war serves as a catalyst of change and introduces elements of the extreme that contrast themes of right and wrong, love and hate, triumph and defeat. Perhaps its because war forces people into action and into situations that are unusual and surreal. Perhaps its because people need the arts to understand the human experience, and musicals allow us, as artists and audiences, to approach something with which we struggle to define and accept.

Whatever the reason for wartime musicals, have no fear, Rodgers and Hammerstein mastered the balance between reality and make believe. South Pacific will take you on an amazing adventure, back in time, across an ocean to a world in which an active combat marine falls in love amidst the tune of “Happy Talk.”

Did I leave any titles out that deserve a mention? What’s your favorite wartime musical, and what makes work for you?

Share your thoughts and reactions to Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific here on the Fox Cities P.A.C. Blog!

Check out this great read highlighting why South Pacific is still engaging audiences today!

Welcome to the Fox Cities P.A.C. Blog!

We’re on a new adventure into the blogosphere for the 2010/11 Season, and it’s going to be a wild ride . This year is packed with amazing performances like WICKED, Jersey Boys, Cirque Dreams Illumination and Liza Minnelli – just to name a few. I can’t believe the season is almost here. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s

South Pacific opens in just a few short weeks!

With so many great titles headed your way, it’s the perfect time to launch a new forum to share some behind the scenes details, insights on the upcoming shows and create a place where people can comment and converse about the performing arts in the Fox Cities. Just a couple things you can expect to find here this year – news from the Center, behind the scenes features and reviews from audience members just like you!

There will be lots to talk about this season. We're digging deep, looking for the latest and greatest to make your Fox Cities P.A.C. experience even more exciting. Do you have an idea for a blog post? We'd love to hear it!

Stay tuned in September for more from your Fox Cities P.A.C. Blog!

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About the Editor – Kari Navis

In my third year at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, I’m thrilled to be a part of this organization and the performing arts in the Fox Cities. Officially, I serve as the organization’s copywriter. Unofficially, I’m the resident language geek and social media manager. I’ve been a fan of the arts since I was four years old and first saw Fiddler on the Roof in a tiny high school auditorium with my (now) sister-in-law cast as the fiddler. Of course, she was the only person in town that could play the violin. I love the arts and creative people, traveling, “Mad Men” and riding my horse and making the trek back home to see the family whenever I can.
Have an idea for the blog? Send me your ideas at knavis@foxcitiespac.com!