The Miller Center for the Arts in Reading hosted Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “South Pacific” Oct. 2. Brickhouse Theater and The Reading Pops Orchestra collaboration contributed to a sold-out performance.
Made famous by the Pulitzer Prize winning novel “Tales of the South Pacific,” the music was arranged by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. “South Pacific” addresses the hardships of racism faced in the World War II era, packing the performance with messages about non-acceptance.
Under musical direction of Jonathan Reinhold, acting as Emile de Becque, he made the partnership between Reading Pops Orchestra and Brickhouse Theater Company possible.
“Johnathan had the artistic vision to create this masterpiece,” said Dr. Willis Rapp, conductor of the Reading Pops Orchestra. Rapp has served on the faculty of Kutztown University, where he retired in 2013 with the distinction of Professor Emeritus.
As the lights dimmed, the strings began to flow under the direction of Rapp. Shifting into a fanfare, Rapp controlled the playing of the Readings Pops Orchestra. Rapp has served as conductor of the Reading Pops since 2000.
“From being a pit orchestra for a musical to doing our own Christmas program, and backing artists for the Berks Jazz Festival, the orchestra does a wide variety of styles,” said Rapp.
Nellie Forbush, played by lead actress Jessica Kostival, set the stage in a South Pacific island setting during World War II. Acting as a nurse from Arkansas on the Naval base, the plot focuses on her love story with lead actor Jonathan Reinhold, as Emile de Becque. Emile is a French plantation owner who struggles with accepting racially diverse children from a previous marriage.
This love story crescendos to a heated argument between Nellie and Emile, forcing her to leave their relationship at a halt; “Some Enchanted Evening,” sung by Emile resonates their battle of love. “Once you have found her, never let her go.”
On the same Naval base Lieutenant Joseph Cable, played by Corey Clark, faces difficulties with love. Lt. Cable is introduced to Bloody Mary, acted by Lorna Myers, who is the mother of the woman Lt. Cable wants to marry; however, racially divided norms of the 1940s pushes his relationship away from the island native, Liat-acted by Emily Rankin.
Enforcing the overall theme of this play was song entitled “You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught.” Sung by Lt. Cabel, this song tells why children are naive in what they know, and hate and prejudice should not be one of them.
“You’ve got to be taught to be afraid of people whose eyes are oddly made and people whose skin is a different shade, you’ve got to be carefully taught.”
Local residents Jim and Susan Watts of Reading enjoyed all of the familiar faces they saw at the performance.
“The lead, Jessica Kostival, was my fourth grade student,” said Jim. He has watched her grow as a performer and as a woman.
A list of performances dates can be found on Reading Pops Orchestra’s website: https://readingpops.com/about-the-series/schedule/.
