Graham Trout October 9, 2013

This Nearly Was Mine Song Prep

I. Song Info A. This Nearly Was Mine B. Composer: Richard Rodgers 1. Notable Musicals a) Babes in Arms (Rodgers and Hart) b) Oklahoma! c) South Pacic d) Carousel e) The Sound of Music f) The King and I g) Cinderella C. Lyricist: Oscar Hammerstein II D. South Pacic E. Opened April 7, 1949 on Broadway at the Majestic Theatre F. Awards Won 1. 1950 Tony Award for: a) Best Musical b) Best Libretto c) Best Director d) Best Original Score e) Best Scenic Design f) Best Producer 2. 1950 Pulitzer Prize for Drama 3. 2008 Tony Award for: a) Best Revival of a Musical b) Best Choreography c) Best Costume Design d) Best Lighting Design II. Character Breakdown A. Name: Emile de Becque B. Age: Middle-aged C. Voice Part and Range: Baritone (C3 to D4) D. Emile is a middle-aged man who owns a French plantation. Struggles with the battle between love and war. He falls in love with an American nurse but is also asked to join the war effort.

III. Synopsis A. Brief Synopsis of the Musical ! South Pacic is set on an island in the south pacic region during World War II. Emile, a French Plantation owner, and Nellie, a nurse from Arkansas, meet and fall in love with each other. Emile decides to give up his war duties to start anew with Nellie. However, when Nellie nds out that Emile has had a previous marriage with a Polynesian woman that bore two children, she turns away from him and lets him go. Meanwhile, we have a United States Marine, Lieutenant Cable, prepping for espionage against the Japanese. He was the one who asked Emile to join the team for an undercover mission to spy on Japanese ships and Emile had rejected the invitation. After being dumped by Nellie, Emile then decides to go on this mission. Nellie hears he joined the war effort and is missing. She breaks down and holds out for him. In the end, the two meet again and Nellie forgets the barriers of race that had held her back in the beginning. B. Before the Song ! Emile has just split from Nellie due to her issue with his previous marriage with a Polynesian woman. Originally, he had said no to aiding in the war effort against Japan, but now that he has realized there is nothing left to lose, he sings This Nearly Was Mine and joins Lieutenant Cable to help spy on the Japanese. C. About the Song and Why the Character Sings ! In this song, the lyrics show how Emile is feeling; he was so close to being with Nellie for the rest of his life, but show ew away as day ies from moonlight. These rich metaphors truly show how Emile is so greatly impacted by Nellies separation from him. There is so much emotion here that ranges from longing to love to a touch of anger. Personally, I nd this song to have such a great sound along with moving lyrics that truly tell the audience how Emile is feeling. D. After the Song ! Emile then joins the war effort and goes on the mission with Lieutenant Cable where is will be missing until he nally rejoins Nellie in the closing scene. IV. Original Actor A. Name: Ezio Pinza B. Awards: 1. 1950 Tony for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical C. Appeared in Fanny on Broadway, but mainly was a classical singer/actor who appeared in Operas such as La vestale and The Marriage of Figaro D. I found it interesting that he was a widely popular classical voice singer/actor and was chosen to play the role of Emile. I, personally, have been trying to decide how classical to play this piece since it is actually a Musical Theatre number. V. Original Cast Album A. Listened to South Pacic Original & New Broadway Cast Recording B. I always have enjoyed music by Rodger & Hammerstein and this is just another that I can add to my list of favorites. I like the range of styles there are in this score such as a strong operatic feel in This Nearly Was Mine and a more upbeat rhythm with Im Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair. I really do love the

operatic take on This Nearly Was Mine, but hope to mix more of the Musical Theatre style in with it. I enjoy comparing the Original and New Cast Recordings because with the New, you get a clearer and crisper sound, mainly because of advancements in audio, but also some new licks or melodic changes that typically bring the piece up-to-date for time (sometimes, shows need to remain timeless and barely touched such as works of Rodgers & Hammerstein, but small changes can help if done right).