Some enchanted evening

Okay, so I haven't watched this movie lately, but I did watch it on Great Performances last night. Or, rather, I watched a performance of the songs (and a bit of dialogue) last night which gave me tingles and I was inspired to write. (I'd also like to send a shout-out to Emily, who suffered through my oft-quoting of musicals during our high school years. "Princeton, NJ, how far are they...?")

SOUTH PACIFIC is one of my all-time favorite musicals. And, arguably, one of the best pieces of musical theater ever. It won a pulitzer prize, for goodness sake, and Rogers and Hammerstein fought to keep in the very controversial song "You've got to be carefully taught." For 1949, interracial romance was extremely taboo, and R & H kept it in the plot and addressed it head-on. Hurrah. (And they continued to address it in the King and I and Flower Drum Song in future years.)

So the film, made in 1958, is still thrilling, but the over-use of filters (how come the sky just turned purple?) is really distracting. But all the songs are there and who can resist Rossano Brazzi singing "Some Enchanted Evening" (nevermind that his singing voice was dubbed - he's still smoldering)?

I'm also compelled to mention my mother - she has always loved this musical (it's her favorite because it's so "romantic" - her words) - and she has passed her love for musicals onto me. I watched this movie a lot when I was young, and knew the soundtrack by heart, thanks to her. Thanks, mom.