Tickets on Sale for "South Pacific"

The Bartlesville High School Fine Arts Department will present Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific this May 1 through May 4 in the BHS Fine Arts Auditorium.

• Thursday, May 1, 7 p.m. (Cast A)
• Friday, May 2, 7 p.m. (Cast B)
• Saturday, May 3, 7 p.m. (Cast A)
• Sunday, May 4, 3 p.m. (Cast B)

Cast A = Britney Caughell, Anthony Hoppe, Becca Yates, Alex Rivera, Andy Burrus, Chris Doe; Cast B = Shannon Hibbard, Brad Gray, Callie Hansen, Eric Geibel, Muna Gharfeh, Forrest Bennett

Tickets are now on sale:

• Adults: $12
• Students: $7
• Teachers: $7
• Military Veterans: free

Tickets can be purchased with cash, checks (payable to Bartlesville Community Center), or credit cards. You can buy tickets at the Bartlesville Community Center - in person, by phone, or online. Tickets will also be available at the BHS Fine Arts Auditorium the day of each performance.

The leading roles are double cast, as in past years, in order to allow more students to play leading parts. On Thursday, May 1st and Saturday, May 3rd, the cast will consist of Britney Caughell as Nellie Forbush, Anthony Hoppe as Emile DeBecque, Becca Yates as Bloody Mary, Alex Rivera as Joe Cable, Andy Burrus as Liat, Chris Doe as Luther Billis and Brett Bone as Captain Brackett.

On Friday, May 2nd and Sunday, May 4th, the roles will be Shannon Hibbard as Nellie, Brad Gray as Emile, Callie Hansen as Bloody Mary, Eric Geibel as Joe, Muna Garfeh as Liat, Forrest Bennett as Luther and Kenny Bond as Brackett.

Other featured performers will include Chris Griffith, Dallas Lewis, Sean Muzljakovich, Ben Robin, Aaron Williams, Lauren Sparks, Christy Bennett, Mackenzie McDaniel, Marcia McIntosh and Michelle Sisson. The remaining chorus members for the shows will be comprised of over 90 singers from the Senior High concert choir. In addition, South Pacific will include participation by students from all the fine arts areas including Choir, Band, Orchestra, Drama, Stagecraft and Visual Arts.

Love, war, comedy, dreams and racism are all part of South Pacific, one of Rodgers and Hammerstein's greatest musical collaborations. Young seabees, sailors, marines and nurses find themselves in a far-away paradise, getting into mischief and searching for their dreams as they wait to enter World War II in the Pacific. Based on James Michener's Pulitzer Prize-winning "Tales of the South Pacific", the show opened on Broadway in 1949, starring Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza, winning nine Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize. The show was so popular that the scarcity of tickets sparked an FBI investigation.

The show will be directed by Susan Mueller, BHS Vocal Music Director, conducted by Dr. Rick Dugger, BHS Band Director, and choreographed by Tamara Walker, BHS Vocal Music Instructor. The sets, designed by Fine Arts Facility Manager, Ricky Newkirk, will be the biggest ever used for the Spring Musical.

South Pacific not only teaches life lessons, but provides some history as well. Women played important roles in WWII, as nurses, factory workers and even military radio operators. The Construction Battalion "Seabees" were first established in 1942 to repair bases and construct new ones in the South Pacific theater. And, because they were part of the navy, they were also prepared to fight if necessary alongside sailors and marines. The audience should be aware: some of these guys were rough characters, so the rating of the show is probably "PG". Many area veterans have loaned authentic uniforms and other items for the production, including a vintage WWII Navy jeep. To honor their service to their country, veterans will be able to see show for free.

The musical is loaded with memorable songs including Some Enchanted Evening, Bali Hai, There Is Nothin' Like A Dame, I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Out-a My Hair, A Wonderful Guy, Younger Than Springtime, This Nearly Was Mine, Happy Talk, You've Got To Be Carefully Taught and Honey Bun. South Pacific will be Susan Mueller's last BHS musical and she had this to say about it: "South Pacific is a show that never gets stale or outdated because of the great music, themes, history and characters that converge to tell the story. It's no surprise that it is right now being revived on Broadway, because it's a show that will always teach us and entertain us."