Question of the Day | 04/03/2008 12:00 am

"South Pacific" returns to Broadway — what musical comedy from your or your parent's youth still resonates with you today?

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“South Pacific?”

It’s nostalgia time for me. In 1949 I arrived in Manhattan with 50 bucks and no return ticket to Texas and no job. I vividly recall standing in line to get a ticket to “South Pacific,” starring Weatherford, Texas’ own star, Mary Martin. I had saved and saved to buy the ticket. A nice looking guy stood in front of me. As the line inched forward from 2 blocks to the box office, he and I became acquainted so we bought our seats together, each paying our way. And we had a delightful dinner after and became friends.

But Rodgers & Hammerstein didn’t excite me as much as Cole Porter’s “Kiss Me Kate” and Carol Channing in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.” So I remember “South Pacific” itself less fondly than I do the man in the line.

And I’ll never forget my baby brother Bobby coming to New York some months later. When I took him to see “South Pacific,” he wisecracked at the intermission, “It can’t hold a candle to ‘Rio Rita.’”

By Liz Smith on 04/03/2008 12:00 am

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"Call Me Madam,” the first musical I saw. The title resonates with me whenever some young person I’ve just met asks whether I’d prefer to be called Judith or Judy.

By Judith Martin on 04/03/2008 12:00 am

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All the great ones. Especially “Oklahoma,” “Guys and Dolls,” “West Side Story,” “My Fair Lady.” We have Song Nights once in a while and we sing show tunes with a bunch of pals around the piano and people of every age love it. Sounds insanely sappy no? But we do. It is a unique American — dare I say — Art?? Entertainment form and as vibrant and moving and resonant now as 50 years ago.

By Candice Bergen on 04/03/2008 12:00 am

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The Sound of Music, still love it to this day. This world could use more musicals!

By Tammi Norris on 04/03/2008 12:29 am

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Tami and Candace- Ditto on The Sound of Music and My Fair Lady! I will add The King and I and The Wizard of Oz to the mix. O < ;

By Josie Sullivan on 04/03/2008 1:02 pm

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That would be Candice…sorry.

By Josie Sullivan on 04/03/2008 1:04 pm

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For me - it’s definitely ‘My Fair Lady’ - tho most all the great musicals of the 40s and 50s resonate w/ me… and they still had dancing!!! “My Dinners With Richard & Other Musings” www.myspace.com/othermusings

By ilona saari on 04/03/2008 3:02 pm

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Westside Story - Romeo & Juliet

By Vivia Cox on 04/18/2008 12:58 am

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I grew up in a family that used to sing Broadway show tunes. One of my favorites were the songs from The Fantastics and Flower Drum Song, to this day I can still sing them note for note and word for word. Although as an adult I did not live close enough to my family and no where near any type of shows I still gave this love to my children, they all grew to be singers and have drawn most of their songs from Broadway show tunes. They know who Bob Fossey is and Rodgers and Hamerstein but they also love the new classics. At ages 12 & 13 they begged to see Rent, Les Mis and the Producers and I managed to get them to see each of them. My nineteen yr old just recently took a 1000 mile trip to Chicago just to see Wicked. I hope they can give this love on to their children as they grow.

By T S on 04/03/2008 12:30 am

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What a wonderful site for women! A reader of my site: http://www.corinescorner.com sent me a link to this article. I am a theater writer and own a site about NYC theater. I am seeing South Pacific today and am looking forward to it. I will let you know what I think later. Corine Cohen http://www.corinescorner.com

By Corinescorner.com on 04/06/2008 11:01 am

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OMG, before the age of 8, my mother had taken my sister and I to see, “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” 14 times. Like Ms. Bergen, all of them. My first Broadway musical was 1969. “Fiddler on The Roof,” starring Topol. I wore a red velvet empire dress. My father escorted my sister and I. When I met my first husband, in my head I literally heard, “Some Enchanted Evening.” Danced in an 8th grade school festival to “June Is Busting Out All Over” from “Carousel.” Saw “CATS” in London and SF. Yeah. They all resonate. Just think of Jennifer Holliday in “Dreamgirls.” Patti Lupone in “Evita.”

By iris odonata on 04/03/2008 12:35 am

Mary Poppins, Finian’s Rainbow, My Fair Lady, Oklahoma, Fiddler on the Roof, The King and I, I really loved all of them. Hair, of course. Was the first musical I saw in San Francisco. West Side Story. Like Candice, I had friends who came over and we sang all the stuff from the Broadway songbooks. Loved ‘em all. Oh, Gawd, Camelot!

By Mugsy Peabody on 04/03/2008 12:57 am

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And just think Mugsy, we are only 28 days away from the lusty month of May. My mom got to see Richard Burton in the revival of Camelot in SF. Said he had the most gorgeous blue eyes. I can see her dreamy-eyed smile now.

By iris odonata on 04/03/2008 1:08 am

Hi Mugsy- Young at Heart with Frank Sinatra and Doris Day is on TCM right now. Doris Day was always one of my favorites!

By Josie Sullivan on 04/03/2008 5:30 pm