A host of Broadway alums have been cast in Goodspeed Musicals’ upcoming production of South Pacific, starting previews April 17 ahead of a May 6 opening in East Haddam, Connecticut. Among the performers are Loretta Ables Sayre, who will once again step into the role of Bloody Mary after earning a Tony nomination for the same performance on Broadway in 2008.
Broadway alum Erin Mackey (Wicked, In Transit) will play Nellie Forbush opposite Cameron Johnson as Lieutenant Joe Cable. Rounding out the principal cast are Erica Wong (The King and I) as Liat, Chad Jennings (Wicked) as Luther Billis, Claudia Lilith Fabella as Ngana, Samuel Li Weintraub (Miss Saigon) as Jerome, James Michael Reilly as Capt. George Brackett, Dallyn Vail Bayles as Commander William Harbison, and Branch Fields, who appeared in the ensemble of the 2008 Broadway revival, as Emile de Becque.
The production will be directed by Rob Ruggiero (Goodspeed’s Oliver!, Rags), with choreography by Ralph Perkins (Goodspeed’s La Cage aux Folles).
South Pacific features music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan, adapted from the Pulitzer Prize–winning novel Tales of the South Pacific by James A. Michener.
The ensemble will include Kelly Berman, Hunter Brown, Vince Fazzolari, Andrew Foote, Leigh Martha Klinger, Jennifer Lorae, Alexa Jane Lowis, Datus Puryear, Brent Thiessen, Damian Thompson, John Wascavage, and Jake Wood. The swings are Josh Kolb and Magdalena Rodriguez. Amy Jo Phillips will understudy the role of Bloody Mary. Emma Kindl will understudy Ngana/Jerome and Irene Lo will understudy Liat.
Serving on the creative team are scenic designer Luke Cantarella, costume designer Amy Clark, lighting designer John Lasiter, sound designer Jay Hilton, wig and hair designer Mark Adam Rampmeyer, music director Adam Souza, associate music director Adam Rineer, and orchestrator Dan DeLange. Casting is by Paul Hardt.
