Knock, Knock…
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Sam and Janet.
Sam and Janet who?
Saaaaaaam and janet evening…
South Pacific is one of those mid-century era musicals that was integral to my childhood. My grandmother passed on a record collection–already well loved by my mother and her sisters–that included South Pacific, Bye-Bye Birdie, The Pajama Game, West Side Story, The King and I, among other classics. On a weekly basis, my sister and I would carefully remove each record from its dust jacket, delicately drop the needle, and proceed to sing and dance our hearts out. We memorized our favourites, which often included learning the record’s skips as if they were refrains. In South Pacific’s “A Wonderful Guy,” Nelly claims: I’m as corny as Kansas in August, high as a flag on the Fourth of July! If you’ll excuse an expression I use, I’m in love, I’m in love, I’m in love, I’m in love, I’m in love with a wonderful guy! In our version, we never got to the part about the “wonderful guy” because we were stuck indefinitely declaring our love.
To me the music of South Pacific is unparalleled: from Act I’s “Dites-Moi” and “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair” (arguably the best song to sing in the shower) to Act II’s “Happy Talk” and “Honey Buns” … each song conjures the drama of South Pacific and the melodramatic nine year-old version of myself.
Needless to say the “Sam and Janet” knock-knock joke was (and still is) popular in my family.
But joking aside, I am simply delighted that Portland Ovations is presenting Rodger and Hammerstein’s South Pacific this season.
Auntie Jessica says:
Love your article! My favourite from that era was definitely West Side Story. I think I could still hum most of the score!
But then there was Mary Martin in Peter Pan!!!! OMG! Love it so much, I had to buy a CD! “Peter Pan is the sun, and the moon and the stars!” love, Jx