SOUTH PACIFIC IN LONDON (TV)
Summary
This documentary presents the 1986 London recording session of the 1949 Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II musical "South Pacific," as adapted from James Michener's "Tales of the South Pacific." The recording was taped at Henry Wood Hall, featuring soloists Jose Carreras, Kiri Te Kanawa, Mandy Patinkin, and Sarah Vaughan, with Jonathan Tunick conducting the London Symphony Orchestra and John McCarthy leading the Ambrosian Singers. Theodore S. Chapin, managing director of the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization, discusses the popularity of the musical's score, and record producer Jeremy Lubbock explains how the show's timeless tunes are able to withstand the new approaches taken by different artists. Vaughan records "Happy Talk," after which she talks about singing with orchestral accompaniment, and enjoying different types of music. After Vaughan sings a few takes of "Bali Ha'i," the male chorus belts out the tune "There Is Nothing Like a Dame." Patinkin reveals the nervousness he experiences when he performs, and following discussions with Tunick about the interpretation of "Younger Than Springtime," Patinkin records the love song. The male chorus sings "Bloody Mary," and Chapin recalls that Rodgers and Hammerstein were advised to cut the song "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught" because of its controversial nature. Patinkin also performs this song for the recording. Te Kanawa sings "A Wonderful Guy," and Lubbock talks about the way she uses her voice in a nonoperatic way in this song. Te Kanawa and the female chorus record the energetic "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair," and Tunick notes that Rodgers and Hammerstein were at the vanguard of the integrated musical due to the inseparability of the songs and the drama in musicals they created. Te Kanawa's rendition of "A Cockeyed Optimist" is followed by the chorus's performance of "Honey Bun." Tunick talks about the performance qualities needed to make "Some Enchanted Evening" more than just a pretty song, and then Carreras records the number. Te Kanawa experiences difficulty with the tuning of "Twin Soliloquies" at first, but subsequently performs the song with Carreras. Next, Carreras talks about his desire not to sound like an opera singer in this venue, and concentrates mostly on the correct lyrical interpretation of "This Nearly Was Mine." The evening ends with Carreras and Te Kanawa recording the show's finale.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS Video
- DATE: November 30, 1985
- RUNNING TIME: 0:58:33
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:13664
- GENRE: Arts documentaries; Music
- SUBJECT HEADING: Musical revues, comedies, etc. - Excerpts
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- John Archer … Executive Producer
- Jonathan Fulford … Producer
- Andrew Eaton … Researcher
- James A. Michener … Writer, Based on the book "Tales of the South Pacific"
- Joshua Logan … Writer, Co-author of "Tales of the South Pacific"
- Richard Rodgers … Composer
- Hammerstein, Oscar, II … Lyricist
- Jonathan Tunick … Conductor
- London Symphony Orchestra, The … Symphony Orchestra
- Ambrosian Singers, The … Choir/Chorus
- John McCarthy … Choral Director
- Jose Carreras … Singer
- Sarah King … Singer
- Juliet Midgley … Singer
- Mandy Patinkin … Singer
- Te Kanawa, Kiri … Singer
- Sarah Vaughan … Singer
- Michael Davis … Music (Misc. Credits), Leader, London Symphony Orchestra
- Theodore S. Chapin
- Jeremy Lubbock