DOTD For Tuesday, April 7, 2026
This Isn't Happy Talk - Today's Drink Is A Tasty Salute To This Legendary Musical!
Today’s DOTD - Drink Of The Day - is a South Pacific Cocktail inspired by the original opening night on Broadway of the musical South Pacific, which would go on to become a Tony & Pulitzer Award Winning musical, and an Academy Award winning film.
On April 7, 1949, the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific opened for the first time 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, in 2008, 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 (Larry Hagman’s - aka J.R. Ewing - mother) 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 original 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 initial run on January 16, 1954. The show has has several new incarnations since then, including the hit 1958 movie version, filmed in Hawaii, which won the Oscar for best sound, and included the legendary performance by Mitzi Gaynor as Ensign Nellie Forbush, of the song, “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair.”
A made-for-TV movie followed in 2001 that starred Glenn Close, and Harry Connick Jr. That version of the story was considered somewhat controversial, because they rearranged the song order, and eliminated some parts of the story entirely, that were deemed politically incorrect. The performances were still generally praised, however.
South Pacific returned to Broadway in a 2008 revival, and became a smashing success once again, running for 996 performances and winning seven Tony awards, including Best Musical Revival.
So let’s raise a glass, in salute to one of the most successful musicals of all time, South Pacific, with today’s Drink Of The Day, a South Pacific Cocktail!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’re going to need for this drink:
