"South Pacific" at the University of Great Falls

The University of Great Falls' production of "South Pacific" is a bright, energetic, catchy and fun musical in which its strengths outshine the few problems I noticed.

The cast I saw featured Kristi Hale and Darryl Stevens as Nellie Forbush and Emile De Becque, Matt Twedt as Luther Billis, Jason Hodne as Joe Cable, Ali Semenza as Bloody Mary, Brian Logsdon as Commander William Harbison and Ed Moran as Captain Brackett.

"South Pacific" is a classic, well-known musical, so it's crucial that the songs are done well, and for the most part the UGF cast delivers. The girls were just as strong as the guys and there are small details that all give the show life. The short USO performances before the main show is fun, too with my personal favorite act the tap dancing from Jessica Burton and Lindsay Jolliff.

Sarah Raines, the show's director, did a fine job of casting and directing the actors to make their roles believable, lighthearted and interesting to watch. Her musical expertise paired with assistant director Dana Kirkmeyer's stage experience I felt made for a great combo behind the scenes.

The UGF cast performs "Honey Bun." Photo courtesy of Darron Raines

Some of the standout performances for me were Stevens' singing in "Some Enchanted Evening," "This Nearly Was Mine," and "Twin Soliloquies." His powerful, full voice commands attention whenever he opens his mouth. 

Stevens has significant stage experience and it shows in his confidence, stage presence and vocal range. Throughout most of the show I saw him not as an actor playing a Frenchman, but as an actual Frenchman on a small island who's trying to escape his past. Having his two children perform in all French was a nice touch that only made it more real. 

The same can be said for Hale's interpretation of Nellie. While she did have a slight flub on the opening of "I'm Gonna Wash that Man Right Out of My Hair," she made a quick recovery and delivered a gleeful performance with the help of the ensemble. She made Nellie seem naive, loving and gentle. 

The best song, hands down, however, is "Honey Bun," and the ridiculousness from Mr. Twedt. While some people in the audience seemed a bit unsettled, his was a rousing performance in drag that was very memorable, funny and strong. The fact that Twedt sold it with no hesitation put it over the top. 

Moran's performance of Captain Brackett, too, was top-notch. 

You believe he's an actual Navy captain that anyone who served could probably identify with. He was angry when he needed to be, silly when it was called for and even funny in a few scenes, too. 

Finally the set pieces were likely the best I've seen at UGF since Michael Gilboe took over the program. 

The turnstile that quickly switched the scene from a living room to an outdoor jungle, Bloody Mary's hut and Nellie's shower during "I'm Gonna Wash that Man Right Out of My Hair," all helped the audience get immersed into the story. I was impressed that the shower had running water coming from it, a little detail that viewers would notice were missing if not included. 

As much as I enjoyed most of the show, there were a few things that I felt were a bit problematic. 

The recorded music seemed a bit too loud at times. 

It's a delicate balance but I think it could've been a touch quieter to give the actors' voices more prominence. 

The sailors perform "There Is Nothing Like a Dame" Photo courtesy
of Darron Raines

Also, it took me nearly half of the show to get used to the fact that there was one speaker on the left-hand side but not one on the right, which created a bit of an uneven listening experience, almost like if you put on a pair of headphones and one side was silent. A small caveat, but noticeable nonetheless.

I also had one small issue with the lighting. During the scene with the island girls standing on the steps in front of the stage, a lone light shone on the girl at the top, while the rest of the girls could barely be seen. 

The biggest concern I saw, though, was during Bloody Mary's portion of "Bali Ha'i." 

Semenza's vocal performance was good and her ability to portray herself as a middle-aged Asian woman was solid, as well. She was at her strongest when she was playing foil to the sailors and officers. During her song, though, it needed a lot more movement from her and the other characters on stage. 

Everyone was flat footed, which is fine, up to a point, but I could see a slight touch of boredom in the faces of some of the sailors. 

I was hoping someone would do some sort of movement on stage. This was alleviated, somewhat, when Luther Billis takes over and he starts to move on stage, but I wanted to see more of it before that. 

Semenza had great movement and character traits going for her before the song, I would have loved to have seen that carry over to her song, also. 

Another smallish problem is one I can appreciate as a difficult to approach. 

I felt like the intimate scenes with Emile and Nellie weren't quite as passionate as they could have been. The kissing, the touching, the embracing, all felt a little awkward. 

The island girls and Bloody Mary perform in "South Pacific"
Photo courtesy of Darron Raines

I say this is a difficult problem to address because of the sensitive nature of acting as if you love someone. It wasn't a showstopper, but I did find that I was left wanting more of a realish connection between the two. 

Stevens' and Hale's singing and individual acting performances, though, were wonderful. The leads are some of the best I've seen at UGF.  

I unfortunately did not see the other cast due to an illness, so I can't speak to the performances of those actors. 

All and all "South Pacific" is a stellar show with lots to enjoy if you're familiar with the show or not. The songs are catchy, the singing is professional and the costumes, props, set designs and direction were great. 

I recommend everyone see this show, which runs again on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday evenings of this week. 

For more information on the show, check out my article from last week's Hot Ticket: