The South Pacific Companion
by Laurence Maslon
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Book Summary Information
Author: Laurence MaslonEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2008-05-06
ISBN: 1416573135
Number of pages: 192
Publisher: Fireside
Book Reviews of The South Pacific Companion
Book Review: South Pacific- The Intriguing Story of Novel, Broadway Hit, and Movie
Summary: 5 Stars
My favorite musical is South Pacific. The 1958 movie version introduced me to the beautiful scenery of warm Pacific islands, a compelling story, and above of all, to some of the most memorable songs I have ever heard. How this magnificent motion picture came to be is told in this book. But the movie is only part of the fascinating story that unfolds on the richly illustrated pages. First there was the Second World War and a naval officer named James Michener. The South Pacific Companion tells the story of how this former book editor's observations of the men and women stationed in the South Pacific led to his Pulitzer Prize winning novel, a sweeping novel full of characters and places. How Hammerstein and company pulled the plot and storyline from that novel provides another interesting part of this book. Rogers composed the music, seemingly without effort. Then the cast had to be chosen. Soon the reader is a witness to how it was done on Broadway, and also gets to see how that hit production was translated into the celebrated film. A person can learn a lot about how Rogers and Hammerstein worked their magic in this wonderful book.
Summary of The South Pacific Companion
A story of passion, prejudice, and romance set against the tragedy of war, South Pacific reigns as one of the all-time great American musicals, winner of the Pulitzer Prize, nine Tony Awards including Best Musical, and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, among other accolades. Here for the first time is the authorized companion to South Pacific's many memorable incarnations spanning seven decades, from the original Broadway production of 1949 to the musical's first return to Broadway in spring 2008.Here is the evolution of the musical through its four creators: James Michener, upon whose Pulitzer Prize-winning short stories the musical was based; the great musical theater team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II; and the musical's cowriter and director Joshua Logan. Also detailed are the historical background of the battles and islands of the South Pacific through World War II and the unique translation of that "theater of war" into one of the most memorable productions in American musical history. The South Pacific Companion, authorized by The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization, features the complete lyrics to all the major songs, rare photos, never-before-seen archival material, maps of the plot's war-torn locales, historical documents, and other insider information from every major theatrical, film, concert, and television production of the musical.
Composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist/ librettist Oscar Hammerstein II joined forces in 1942 to create the most successful partnership in the American musical theater. In addition to South Pacific (1949), their prodigious output includes Oklahoma! (1943), Carousel (1945), The King and I (1951), and The Sound of Music (1959). Collectively, their musicals have earned thirty-five Tony Awards, fifteen Academy Awards, two Pulitzer Prizes, two Grammy Awards, and two Emmy Awards.
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