PRESS RELEASE: 6th Street Playhouse Opens Season With A Musical Masterpiece
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 13 , 2026
Contact: Kira Catanzaro, Marcom Manager
kira@6thstreetplayhouse.com
6th Street Playhouse Opens Season With A Musical Masterpiece
An Unforgettable Romance Set Against The Sweeping Tides Of World War II
SANTA ROSA, CA (July 13, 2026) — SANTA ROSA, Calif. — Love, hope, and courage take center stage as 6th Street Playhouse launches its 2026–2027 Season with Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Pulitzer Prize-winning South Pacific. Directed and choreographed by Malia Abayon with music direction by Janis Dunson Wilson, 6th Street’s production features Alanna Weatherby as Nellie Forbush, Marc Assad as Emile de Becque, Andrew Cedeño as Lt. Joseph Cable and Kylee Fernandez as Liat. South Pacific is playing August 21 through September 20, 2026, on the GK Hardt Stage.
Premiering on Broadway in 1949, South Pacific became an immediate sensation, earning the 1950 Pulitzer Prize for Drama because of its groundbreaking, bold exploration of racial prejudice and social issues during World War II.
South Pacific won ten Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Libretto. The original production remains the only musical in Broadway history to win all four acting Tony Awards.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest musicals ever written, South Pacific transports audiences to a remote island during World War II, where two unforgettable love stories unfold amid the uncertainty of war. As spirited Navy nurse Nellie Forbush falls in love with an elegant French planter, and a young Marine lieutenant finds himself captivated by a beautiful island woman, both couples are forced to confront the prejudices that threaten to keep them apart.
“We are thrilled to open our new season of classics with this extraordinary Broadway masterpiece,” said Executive Artistic Director Emily Lynn Cornelius. “Its soaring score, unforgettable characters, and enduring message remind us that the greatest works of theatre don’t simply stand the test of time—they continue to challenge us, inspire us, and invite us to see ourselves and one another with greater compassion.”
Adapted from James Michener’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Tales of the South Pacific, the musical blends sweeping romance, unforgettable music, humor, and emotional depth while exploring themes of love, acceptance, and the transformative power of understanding.
Featuring music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan, South Pacific includes some of the most beloved songs in musical theatre history, including Some Enchanted Evening, There Is Nothin’ Like a Dame, I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair, Bali Ha’i, and You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught.
More than 75 years after its premiere, South Pacific continues to resonate with audiences through its timeless score and powerful message that love and understanding can triumph over fear and prejudice.
Whether discovering South Pacific for the first time or revisiting a cherished favorite, audiences will experience one of musical theatre’s most moving and celebrated works.
The Cast of South Pacific is as follows:
Nellie Forbrush – Alanna Weatherby
Nellie Forbrush alternate –Bethany Cox
Emile de Becque – Marc Assad
Lt. Joseph Cable – Andrew Cedeño
Bloody Mary – Eiko Moon-Yamamoto
Liat – Kylee Fernandez
Bloody Mary Assistant/Native #1/Henry /G.I. – Reilly Milton
Ngana/Native Child Dancer – Avery Bai
Jerome/Native Child Dancer – William Young
Native Child Dancer – Catherine Mechanic
Luther Billis – Mason Hunt
Captain George Brackett – Matthew Proschold
Cmdr. William Harbison – Tajai Britten
Stewpot/Mechanic/Pilot – Harrie Schaufel
Buzz Adams – Max Gold
Yeoman Herbert Quale/Marine 1/Mechanic/Pilot – Jefferson Nix
Bob McCaffrey – Michael Hunter
Thomas Hassinger/Seabee/Tom O’ Brian/Mechanic/Pilot – Lucas Waters
Soldier 1/Shore Patrolman/Mechanic/Pilot – Genevieve Smith
Genevieve Marshall (Lead Nurse) /French Girl – Shelley Foster
Dinah Murphy/French Girl – Nora Summers
Janet McGregor/French Girl – Caroline Gruenbaum
Pamela Whitmore/Nun – Katie Foster
Connie Walewska/Nun Megan Watt
Bessie Noonan/French Girl – Olivia Bailey
Native Hula Dancer 2 – Misha Miki
Showing: Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 pm, from August 21 through September 20, 2026.
Run Time: Approximately 2 hours 45 minutes, including one 15-minute intermission.
Tickets cost $33 – $56.95 (including all applicable fees) and are available online at 6thStreetPlayhouse.com or by calling the Box Office at (707) 523-4185.