Third Reprise and Concord Theatricals have teamed up to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II's South Pacific, which opened on Broadway in 1949.
To commemorate the anniversary, an R&B cover of "Some Enchanted Evening" from South Pacific is now available on streaming and digital platforms worldwide. Watch the music video above, which features lead vocals by singer-songwriter Alita Moses.
The reimagining of "Some Enchanted Evening" was produced, orchestrated, and arranged by Third Reprise founder Daniel Rudin. The track features backup vocals by Kyana Fanene, Johnny DelToro, and Leah Rich; with Daniel Rudin on synth and piano, Avishai Rozen on drums, Maxx Spinelli on bass, Stefano Di Blasio on acoustic guitar, Sam Appiah on synth and wurli, Marc Malsegna on electric guitar, Kai Sandoval on trumpet, Zac Zinger on tenor sax, and Nadav Nirenberg on trombone.
The track was mixed and co-produced by Hannah Tobias, with additional production by Asher Blank. The video was directed and edited by Bryce Bizer.
With a book by Joshua Logan and Hammerstein, music by Rodgers, and lyrics by Hammerstein, South Pacific opened on Broadway April 7, 1949, with Mary Martin, Ezio Pinza, and Juanita Hall starring. The original production won 10 Tony Awards including Best Musical, as well as the 1950 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Adapted from James A. Michener's Pulitzer-winning novel Tales of the South Pacific, the musical theatre classic introduced such songs as"Some Enchanted Evening," "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair," "Bali Ha'i," and "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught."
The work was adapted into a film in 1958, which starred Rossano Brazzi and Mitzi Gaynor. A Broadway revival led by Kelli O'Hara, Paulo Szot, and Matthew Morrison opened in 2008, and received seven Tonys including Best Revival of a Musical.
