South Pacific
...Santa Clara University Symphony, to name a few and so experience seemed to be something most of these players did not lack. The style of music that was played would be what I classify as Musical Theater (circa 1950s); there was the reliable mix of show stopping numbers, catchy tunes, and of course, the all important romantic ballad. All together there were 15 pieces performed (not including the reprises, of which there were 4) including some well-known show tunes: There is Nothin’ Like a Dame, Bali Hai, I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Out-A My Hair and Some Enchanted Evening. In terms of form, all the pieces in the show followed the standard three part song form (verse-chorus-verse) that is so common to the musical theater style, especially in the musicals of the 1940s and 50s. The play takes place during World War II on an island in the South Pacific and the music reflects this location and time period, alternating between appealing pop standards (i.e. There is Nothing Like a Dame), romantic ballads (Some Enchanted Evening) and exotic “tropical” tunes (Bali Hai and Happy Talk). The purpose of these songs is to highlight and accentuate the various events of the story’s plot and to create the necessary mood needed for each major event that takes place. The differences in song styles create a unifying thread that keeps the action of the play moving along and at the same time, provides a good deal of variety that is meant to keep the attention and interest of the audience from waning. Their melodies are somewhat simplistic yet memorable and the harmony that was required in some pieces is meant to be consonant and pleasant to listen to for the most part (although the singers in this particular production weren’t always able to achieve this). Volume was a problem throughout the show, while energy was usually present, there was sometimes too much coming from the orchestra and they quite often overpowered the singers, making it difficult to hear the lyrics and the dialogue being underscored (even with the actors using wireless microphones). The mixture of the songs and song styles presented in this show demands a variety in volume – from lively and energetic (i.e. I’m Gonna Wash that Man Right Out-A My Hair) to soft and tender (Younger than Springtime); unfortunately, the orchestra seemed to operate at only one volume level: loud. This affected the tempo and rhythm at times; when a change in rhythm or tempo was required, the orchestra struggled to hear the singers give them their cues for these changes; the singers weren’t projecting very well. The inexperience of some of the lead singers was painfully apparent in other areas as well; not only were they off-key, they quite often had trouble making the transi...