South Pacific – The National Broadway Tour at Oxford Performing Arts Center

On a South Pacific island during World War II, Ensign Nellie Forbush, a spunky gal from Arkansas, falls in love with French planter Emile de Becque and confronts and conquers prejudice in the face of war. Based on Tales of the South Pacific, James Michener’s collection of short stories, South Pacific opened on Broadway at the Majestic Theatre on April 7, 1949, starring Mary Martin. South Pacific received the 1950 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and for the first time, the committee included a composer in the drama prize. The show received ten Tony Awards (including Best Musical), a Grammy Award, and countless other accolades. For years the second-longest running show in Broadway history (right behind Oklahoma!), South Pacific returned to Broadway in a celebrated 2008 revival starring Kelli O’Hara and Paolo Szot. The show has proven itself a classic in countless productions around the world and was twice adapted onscreen, most recently in 2001 with Glenn Close and Harry Connick, Jr.