South Pacific: Kelli O’Hara to return as Nellie

Kelli O'Hara, who was nominated for a Tony Award for her portrayal of Nellie Forbush in Lincoln Center Theater's revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific will return to the production on 10 Aug 2010, performing the role through to 22 Aug 2010 when the musical plays its final performance.

O'Hara, returns to the role in time to star in the PBS' "Live From Lincoln Center national Broadcast of the musical on 18 Aug 2010.

South Pacific, directed by Bartlett Sher, opened at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre on 3 Apr 2008, following prveiews from 1 Mar, and was orginally scheduled to play a limited engagement ending on the 22 Jun 2008. The musical received critical acclaim, and on 4 Apr 2008, just one day after it opened the Lincoln Center announced the show would play an open run.

The musical received rave reviews: "Great entertainment. Don't miss it." (New York Theatre Guide); "Simply wonderful!" (New York Post); "A masterpiece." (Star-Ledger); "It soars" (USA Today); "This is ravishing theater." (Variety).

South Pacific won seven 2008 Tony Awards: Best Musical Revival, Best Director (Bartlett Sher), Best Actor in a Musical (Paulo Szot), Best Scenic Design (Michael Yeargan), Best Costume Design (Catherine Zuber), Best Lighting Design (Donald Holder) and Best Sound Design (Scott Lehrer).

The story takes place during World War II: in the South Pacific love is found between a young nurse, Nellie Forbush and an older French plantation owner, Emile de Becque, but the war is tearing them apart.

South Pacific features such classic songs as: 'A Cockeyed Optimist'; 'Some Enchanted Evening'; 'There Is Nothing Like a Dame' and 'Bali Ha'i', to name a few.

The current cast for the Broadway revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific features Laura Osnes (Ensign Nellie Forbush), William Michals (Emile de Becque), Loretta Ables Sayre (Bloody Mary), Andrew Samonsky (Lt. Joseph Cable), Danny Burstein (Luther Billis), Sean Cullen (Cmdr. William Harbison), Eric Anderson (Stewpot), Luka Kain (Jerome), Li Jun Li (Liat), Laurissa Romain (Ngana), Murphy Guyer (Capt. George Brackett) and Christian Delcroix (Professor).

The production of South Pacific, the first to be mounted on Broadway since the Pulitzer Prize winning musical premiered in 1949, is directed by Barlett Sher and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli.

Based on James Michener's "Tales of the South Pacific," South Pacific has music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein and a book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan.