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• “South Pacific” at Krannert delivers great vocals but average production

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Krannert Center for the Performing Arts »
Address: 500 S. Goodwin Ave. Urbana, IL 61801
Phone: (217) 333-6700
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When the lights dim in the Tryon Festival Theater at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday night, the tropical sounds of “South Pacific” fill the air. Old black and white World War II photographs project onto the screen ahead, attempting to transport the audience to the past. But the Krannert Center’s staging of “South Pacific,” a musical that has been an American treasure for more than 50 years, falls flat. The U of I School of Music Opera Program had good intentions to bring a classic American tale to life, but seemed to miss the mark. Instead of feeling immersed in the story, the performance felt more like a dress rehearsal, still not quite finely tuned.

The acting as a whole was lacking, but a few characters stood out above the rest with successful performances. Daniel Bahr, who plays the comical Luther Billis, was a big force in keeping the show alive. His comedic timing was good, his character convincing, and his antics brought plenty of laughs. The scene where this macho GI sports a grass skirt, a coconut bra and a long wig, and dances around the stage had the audience cracking up.

However, the musical also had awkward, uneventful scenes. The plot takes a long time to get moving, and the dialogue is lacking. Some of this is the fault of the composer and writer, Rodgers and Hammerstein, respectively, but the continued swirling of drinks, the overextended makeout sessions and the repeated songs wear on a viewer’s patience. Basically, this musical could be about a half hour shorter.

The vocal performances and the orchestra pit were definitely the shining stars of the night. Ryan Milstead, who plays the main male role of Emile de Beque, proved his worth among his colleagues. When Milstead hits that high note in “Some Enchanted Evening” with such grace, one begins to believe the night may just be as enchanted as he says.

Still, this production needed help. The array of bad accents was distracting, causing people in the audience to laugh at parts that were not intended to be funny. The main character, Nellie Forbush, is supposed to be from Arkansas, but her accent slips in and out throughout the play. Emile de Beque’s botched French accent, as well as a very intensely strange, overexaggerated accent from the character Bloody Mary, makes the play into a joke at times when it is serious. They could have skipped the accents altogether and spared a lot of confusion.

If expectations are for some good vocal performances and some mildly entertaining stage humor, then South Pacific delivers. But, if one is looking for an overall great production, it seems this one’s gone south.