South Pacific
After the dark fantasy ofCarousel, 1949'sSouth Pacificis the most complicated--and artistically satisfying--of Rodgers & Hammerstein's big hit shows. Amusing ensemble numbers including "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Out-a My Hair" and "There Is Nothin' Like a Dame" are offset by stirring ballads ("Some Enchanted Evening," "Younger Than Springtime") and a scathing denouncement of racism ("You've Got to Be Carefully Taught"). Operatic baritone Ezio Pinza and perky Broadway minx Mary Martin might seem like a most unlikely couple, but that's half the point of the romance, and their chemistry ignites this memorable score. The CD adds Martin singing two songs cut from the original production, "Loneliness of Evening" and "My Girl Back Home," plus Pinza's rendition of "Bali Ha'i."--Kurt B. Reighley