THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 29, 1994 TAG: 9407270160
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 05B EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Theater Review
SOURCE: BY MARLENE FORD, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 82 lines
Who would have thought an indoor musical production should ever schedule a rain date?
The Little Theatre of Virginia Beach might have to start considering it.
Sunday afternoon's deluge was so audible through the tin roof - like the New York City Rockettes tap dancing in the apartment above - that nearly the entire second act of its good production was close to inaudible.
Last weekend the community theater began a six-week run of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, ``South Pacific.''It's directed by Karen Buchheim, with music director Kevin Long and choreographer Gwen Spear Meng.
An especially strong factor in the show's overall success is that Buchheim has gathered under one roof, albeit a tin roof, a talented group of performers new to the Little Theatre.
Grouped with some familiar Beach talent, the large cast includes many good voices as well as good actors and dancers.
All told, this ensemble is effective in telling a romanticized, tuneful, Broadway version of World War II in the Pacific and it's worth seeing.
One of the new faces is Bryan Bender, who plays the romantic lead French expatriate, Emile de Becque.
Bender has one of those good voices, and he's both lyrical and moving in the song, ``This Nearly was Mine.''
Denise Crisp is making her second appearance in this theater in the role of the female love interest, Nellie Forbush. As the All-American nurse, she plays with sweetness, humor and another good voice.
Singing seven out of 17 of the musical numbers, she is wonderful in the comic duet, ``Honey Bun'' with an equally wonderful Franklin D. Chenman as Luther Billis.
Generally speaking, the pace of the show is slow and after 2 1/2 hours, it's too long.
It's also too bad the first two numbers sung by Crisp and Bender, ``A Cockeyed Optimist'' and ``Some Enchanted Evening,'' don't seem to get off the ground. They're such good songs, but these two, who do fine in later scenes, don't seem to have the emotional intensity in place early enough in the show to make them work. However, things do cook when Chenman, who plays the conniving, goofy, lovable Seabee, comes on stage for ``There's Nothing Like a Dame.''
That seems to be when everyone is reminded this is LIVE theater.
He's acted in shows all over the area, and as he proves in the dance numbers, he is a good hoofer, too.
The chorus numbers by the sailors and nurses are fun and energetic. ``There is Nothing Like a Dame'' and ``I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair'' are winners.
Also, very good in lead roles are Cynthia Tademy as Bloody Mary and Christopher Davis as Lt. Joseph Cable.
There are other good musical performances, too.
These include Garrett and Dena Whitley, a third- and fourth-grade brother and sister who play the brother and sister, Jerome and Ngana de Becque.
Their duet, ``Dites-Moi Pourquoi,'' couldn't have been any cuter, or for that matter better in tune.
Finally, singing in the chorus is one character identified as ``Exercising Sailor/Marine.'' This innocuous little part is sung and played very well by theater newcomer Larry G. Patterson.
Important nonsinging parts are played by Bob Hill, Lon Scofield and Jossette Marie Castillo Barbero.
The inclement weather might not have been worth mentioning. It wasn't the fault of Rodgers or Hammerstein or the director or the actors or the orchestra.
Everybody was working extra hard. ILLUSTRATION: Bob Hill, left, Patrick Gantley, center, and Lon Scofield are in
the cast of ``South Pacific.''
WHEN & WHERE
``South Pacific,'' Little Theatre of Virginia Beach, 24th Street
and Barberton Drive, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday through Aug. 27 and
3 p.m. Sunday through Aug. 21. Tickets are $10 general admission, $8
senior citizens and students. Matinee tickets are $8. For
reservations, call 428-9233.
by CNB