Feb 25

Written by: Theatre Under The Stars
2/25/2010 5:26 PM

 

Hello dear readers!

This week February comes to a close, marking the end of Black History Month and the start of March, which brings us South Pacific! What’s the connection? Well, none other than the amazing Juanita Hall….the original Bloody Mary on stage and screen, as well as the very first African-American to win a Tony Award (Best Supporting Actress in 1950)!

South Pacific opens here at TUTS in just a few short weeks and I’m really looking forward to the show. Bloody Mary is one of my favorite characters and Bali Ha’i is one of the most hauntingly beautiful songs I can think of. It’s one of my favorite songs to listen to while I cook….and drink wine….while imagining a tropical island vacation. TUTS is actually having a Bloody Mary Cocktail contest right now! I’m working on trying the delectable cocktails at all 7 of the participating restaurants. That’s a lot of Bloody Mary! But I digress. Black History month presents a great opportunity to learn about the incredible African-American artists and leaders in our past and it’s the perfect opportunity to celebrate Juanita Hall’s accomplishments while preparing for South Pacific.

Not only was Juanita Hall a talented actress, she also was a brilliant vocalist with her own choir, club routine and blues album!  She trained at Julliard and was personally selected by Rodgers and Hammerstein to perform her roles in South Pacific and Flower Drum Song after Richard Rodgers discovered her on the nightclub circuit. Even by today’s standards she would be considered phenomenally successful, but to achieve all of this in the 1930’s-50’s says a whole lot about the kind of talent she possessed.

South Pacific addresses racial prejudices during World War II and many of the themes are still applicable today. I think Juanita Hall would be thrilled to see that we’re still embracing the story and remembering her. Do you have a favorite Bloody Mary? Have you seen Juanita in the South Pacific movie? When was the last time you saw South Pacific and what do you look forward to or remember the most?

Happy Black History Month and happy upcoming South Pacific!

Love, Thea

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