Yeah, I'm not a fan of South Pacific, neither the show itself nor the current smash-hit revival. But I know my readers are interested in the show, and its stars, and I'm certainly not above a little pandering for blog traffic.
Apparently, the lovely and talented Kelli O'Hara, the show's Tony-nominated Nelly Forbush, is pregnant, expecting her first child with husband Greg Naughton. She'll take a leave from the show starting in March, and return sometime in the fall. In the meantime, costumer Catherine Zuber is working on some designs to prevent O'Hara's delicate condition from detracting from the show.
But here's the part that I know a lot of people will be interested in hearing about. O'Hara hopes to return to the show in time to play opposite co-star Paulo Szot before he leaves the show sometime late in 2009. There's been quite a bit of search traffic on my blog over the past few months with terms like "When does Paulo Szot leave South Pacific?" and "When is Szot's contract up?" and stuff like that. So, it appears that Szot (rhymes with "hot") will be sticking with the show at least until the holiday season.
I enjoyed both O'Hara and Szot when I saw the show last March (read my review), and although the show itself alternately bores and irks me, I certainly don't begrudge it its success. Heck, I'm just happy that people are still going to the theater in these troubled times. Even with the economic meltdown, Broadway still has at least four shows (Billy Elliot, Jersey Boys, Wicked, and South Pacific) playing at or near capacity. Sure, it would be great if there were more shows running, but at least someone out there is making money. That speaks to the continuing power and popularity of live theater.
[CUE MUSIC: "You'll Never Walk Alone"]
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