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By Eileen Wingard
 SAN DIEGO—The J Company, the Lawrence Family JCC’s Youth Theatre Company, under the inspiring direction of Joey Landwehr, has initiated its season of tribute to the Golden Age of the American Musical Theatre with a sensational production of Rogers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific.
This was one of the first musicals which treated a serious subject, setting the stage for musicals such as Fiddler on the Roof and Westside Story.
Taking place in the South Pacific during World War II, the carnage of war is not glossed over, even though much of the musical has sailors light-heartedly singing “There is Nothing Like a Dame” and “Honey Bun,” and much of the action is on a scenic island. Lieutenant Joe Cable, however, gets tragically killed during his dangerous spy mission.
The intergenerational romance of Emile De Becque and Nellie Forbush and the interracial romance of Lieutenant Joe Cable and Liat present problems which remain challenging, even in today’s world. The song, “You’ve Got to be Carefully Taught” whose lyrics say that we are not born to hate, has a message to which we must hearken now as when the musical first debuted over fifty years ago. Many of the songs from this musical became hits, such as “Bali Ha’i,” “Some Enchanted Evening,” and “Younger than Springtime.”
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This production benefited from the outstanding talents of young high school age performers: Danielle Smotrich (Nellie Forbush), Darien Sepulveda (Emile De Becque), Satya Chavez (Bloody Mary), Daniel Myers (Lieutenant Joe Cable), and Robbie Friedman (Luther Billis), as well as from the 15-piece orchestra, led from the keyboard by Jason Chase. The orchestra, a combination of students and professionals did ample justice to the beautiful musical score.
The cast of characters, including Nurses, Marines, Sailors, Seabees, Female Military Ensemble, French Island Girls, Male Military Ensemble and Thanksgiving Follies Dancers, plus the orchestra and the backstage crew, added up to over 100 participants. All the youngsters onstage performed with enthusiasm and flair.
Sitting next to a fellow grandparent of one of the cast--his grandson was a sailor—I shared my thorough enjoyment of the musical. My granddaughter Adira was part of the stage crew and my daughter Myla was the first violin in the orchestra. Amplified, her playing took the place of a full section of violins used in professional productions.
There was also the nostalgic memory of my first South Pacific, a summer stock production in Pennsylvania in 1955 which my husband Hal (of blessed memory) and I saw while we lived in Princeton, Mass. where Hal had a fellowship at the Educational Testing Service.
The J Company’s South Pacific has performances Saturday evening, October 24, 8:00 p.m. and two performances on Sunday, October 25, at 1:00 p.m. and at 4:30 p.m. For tickets, call the JCC Box Office: 858-362-1348.
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