Courtney Romero of the Piper area of Kansas City, Kan., is part of the Emporia State University homecoming musical, “South Pacific.”
Romero is part of the costume crew. She is a junior speech and theater education major.
Featuring one of the most beloved scores of the musical stage, “South Pacific” is based upon the Pulitzer-prize winning “Tales of the South Pacific” by James A. Michener. The musical was also awarded a Pulitzer in 1950.
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical romance centers on a group of American sailors and Navy nurses who are stationed in the South Pacific during World War II. Arkansas native Nellie Forbush befriends and quickly falls for Emile de Becque, a French expatriate and plantation owner. Meanwhile, Lt. Joe Cable finds himself in a passionate affair with Liat, the young daughter of Bloody Mary, the local grass skirt peddler. As the war against Japan escalates, reality sets in for both Forbush and Cable, who struggle to reconcile their unconventional love affairs with their long-held prejudices and insecurities.
Richard Rodgers composed the music with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Hammerstein and the show’s original director, Joshua Logan, wrote the book.
Proceeds from this production support scholarships for ESU students in the performing arts. “South Pacific” runs Oct. 22 through 24 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 25 at 2 p.m. in Albert Taylor Hall on the Emporia State University campus. Tickets can be reserved at the university box office in the Memorial Union or by calling 620-341-6378.