South Pacific opens in Perth

Opera Australia and John Frost’s smash hit production of South Pacific opens tonight in Perth, playing a limited four week run at Crown Theatre (formerly Burswood).

South Pacific 2012. Lisa McCune and Teddy Tahu Rhodes. Image by Kurt Sneddon
South Pacific – Lisa McCune and Teddy Tahu Rhodes. Image by Kurt Sneddon

Lauded leading lady Lisa McCune and opera star Teddy Tahu Rhodes will reprise the roles of Nellie Forbush and Emile de Becque in this fifth leg of South Pacific’s Australian tour, leading the cast of over 30 in an enchanting evening of music theatre.

The Rodgers and Hammerstein classic has received rave reviews across the country to date, previously enjoying successful seasons in Sydney (2012 and 2013), Melbourne and Brisbane.

AussieTheatre’s Cassie Tongue hailed the production as “sweet, sincere and impossible to resist” in her recent review praising the Australian company who, under the direction of Tony Award winning director Bart Sher, have made this production their own.

Opera Australia’s production has a twinkle in its eye, mixing gravitas with the pure joy of classic musical theatre… This is a show worth seeing once, twice, a half-dozen times. This is one of the best shows in the history of musical theatre, and it’s being created every night by the best of the best in the Australian scene… It is absolutely unmissable.

Cassie Tongue – South Pacific review

Multiple Helpmann Award winning actor Mitchell Butel joins the cast this season as the wheeling and dealing self-appointed leader of the Seabees, Luther Billis, a role which has been played by both Eddie Perfect and Gyton Grantley in previous season.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the cast of South Pacific in Perth. It’s a show and a production I love, and Luther Billis is a role I’ve coveted for many years. Rat cunning, chutzpah and hilarity all rolled into one man. I can’t wait!”, Butel said.

South Pacific is playing at Crown until December 8 and will transfer to Adelaide for the final leg of its extensive Australian tour.

For more information and to book tickets visit southpacificmusical.com.au

 

Erin James

Erin James is AussieTheatre.com's former Editor in Chief and a performer on both stage and screen. Credits include My Fair Lady, South Pacific and The King and I (Opera Australia), Love Never Dies and Cats (Really Useful Group), Blood Brothers (Enda Markey Presents), A Place To Call Home (Foxtel/Channel 7) and the feature film The Little Death (written and directed by Josh Lawson).

Erin James

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