By: History.com Editors

1949

Tony-winning musical “South Pacific” opens on Broadway

History.com Editors

Published: April 04, 2024

Last Updated: January 24, 2025

On April 7, 1949, the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific opens at the Majestic Theatre on Broadway in New York City. The romantic musical about World War II, which touches on controversial racial themes, goes on to run for almost five years, becoming one of the most popular musicals of the 1950s. The show won 10 Tony Awards, and six decades later, its Lincoln Center revival would earn another seven, making it the most Tony Award-winning show in New York theater history.

Based on James A. Michener’s 1947 Pulitzer Prize-winning collection of short stories Tales of the South Pacific, the musical’s plot centers around a group of U.S. soldiers, sailors and nurses stationed on a tropical Polynesian island during World War II—in particular, a young American nurse falling in love with a mysterious ex-pat French planter. Given the location, a key theme of the production focuses on racial tolerance, with several characters facing the realities of interracial relationships at a time when segregation based on skin color was still the law at home in America.

The original South Pacific cast included lead actors Mary Martin as Ensign Nellie Forbush and Ezio Pinza as Emile De Becque. Famous songs from the musical include “Some Enchanted Evening,” “I’m in Love with a Wonderful Guy” and “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair.” The stage show won countless awards, including Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Musical Score, Best Director, Best Libretto and all four musical acting categories. It also earned the 1950 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

South Pacific ran for 1,925 performances on Broadway and ended its run on January 16, 1954. The show had new incarnations, including the hit 1958 movie version, filmed in Hawaii. A made-for-TV movie followed in 2001, and South Pacific returned to Broadway in a 2008 revival.

Timeline

Also on This Day in History

Discover more of the major events, famous births, notable deaths and everything else history-making that happened on April 7th

1805

Lewis and Clark depart Fort Mandan

After a long winter, the Lewis and Clark expedition departs its camp among the Mandan tribe and resumes its journey West.

1862

Battle of Shiloh concludes

Two days of heavy fighting conclude near Pittsburgh Landing in western Tennessee. The Battle of Shiloh became a Union victory after the Confederate attack stalled on April 6, and fresh Yankee troops drove the Confederates from the field on April 7.

1945

Japanese battleship Yamato is sunk by Allied forces

On April 7, 1945, the Japanese battleship Yamato, one of the greatest battleships of its time, is sunk in Japan’s first major counteroffensive in the struggle for Okinawa.

1950

President Truman receives NSC-68 report, calling for “containing” Soviet expansion

President Harry S. Truman receives National Security Council Paper Number 68 (NSC-68). The report was a group effort, created with input from the Defense Department, the State Department, the CIA, and other interested agencies; NSC-68 formed the basis for America’s Cold War policy for the next two decades.

1953

Sweden’s Dag Hammarskjöld elected U.N. head

By a vote of 57 to 1, Dag Hammarskjöld is elected secretary-general of the United Nations.

1954

President Eisenhower presents Cold War “domino theory”

President Dwight D. Eisenhower coins one of the most famous Cold War phrases when he suggests the fall of French Indochina to the communists could create a “domino” effect in Southeast Asia. The so-called “domino theory” dominated U.S. thinking about Vietnam for the next decade.

1961

JFK lobbies Congress to help save historic sites in Egypt

On April 7, 1961, President John F. Kennedy sends a letter to Congress in which he recommends the U.S. participate in an international campaign to preserve ancient temples and historic monuments in the Nile Valley of Egypt. The campaign, initiated by UNESCO, was designed to save sites threatened by the construction of the Aswan High Dam.

1963

Tito is made president of Yugoslavia for life

On April 7, 1963, a new Yugoslav constitution proclaims Tito the president for life of the newly named Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

1970

John Wayne wins Best Actor Oscar

On April 7, 1970, the legendary actor John Wayne wins his first—and only—acting Academy Award, for his star turn in the director Henry Hathaway’s Western True Grit.

1979

Astros’ Ken Forsch pitches no-hitter, matching feat by his brother

On April 7, 1979, nearly a year after his brother Bob pitched a no-hitter, Houston Astros pitcher Ken Forsch tosses his first career no-hitter. Ken and Bob become the first—and only—brothers to pitch official no-hitters in Major League Baseball history.

1994

Violence erupts in Rwanda, foreshadowing genocide

On April 7, 1994, violence fuels the launch of what would become the worst episode of genocide since World War II: the massacre of an estimated 500,000 to 1 million innocent civilian Tutsis and moderate Hutus. Following the first wave of massacres, Rwandan forces manage to discourage international intervention with the murder of 10 Belgian peacekeeping officers. The Tutsis, a minority group that made up about 10 percent of Rwanda’s population, received no assistance from the international community, although the United Nations later conceded that a mere 5,000 soldiers deployed at the outset would have stopped the wholesale slaughter.

RWANDA-WAR-GENOCIDE-FUNERAL-DEMONSTRATION

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Citation Information

Article title
Tony-winning musical “South Pacific” opens on Broadway
Website Name
History
Date Accessed
March 23, 2025
Publisher
A&E Television Networks
Last Updated
January 24, 2025
Original Published Date
April 04, 2024

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