East Hampton - Ross School is pleased to announce its 2009 spring musical will be "South Pacific," a Rodgers and Hammerstein classic. Four performances will take place, on Wednesday, May 13, Thursday, May 14, Friday, May 15 and Saturday, May 16 at 7pm in the Ross School Court Theater.

The production will be directed by Ross School's Theatre Director Gerard Doyle, with musical direction by Adam Judd, Chair of Performing Arts at Ross. The choreographer is Sheryl Hastalis, who teaches classical and contemporary dance at the School.

The show was first produced at the Majestic Theatre on April 7, 1949. Set during World War II, the musical portrays the experiences of U.S. military personnel and nurses on a South Pacific island. It focuses on the boredom and frustration experienced by the various ranks of the U.S. forces, as well as the relationships and tensions between them and members of the local island population.

The story is drawn from James A. Michener's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, "Tales of the South Pacific," which dealt largely with the issue of racism. It is considered by most critics to be among the greatest musicals of the 20th century. The original Broadway production won 10 Tony Awards, including all four acting awards and many of its songs went on to have a life of their own outside of the musical. It inspired a 1958 film adaptation and has enjoyed numerous successful revivals, including Broadway revivals in 1955 and 2008, and West End revivals in 1988 and 2001.

Featuring students in grades seven through 12, Ross School's own production of "South Pacific" recaptures the magic of this box office hit with some classic musical numbers, including "Younger Than Springtime," "Some Enchanted Evening" and "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Out Of My Hair." The lead roles are played by Devon Leaver as Ensign Nellie Forbush, Lorcan Jowers as Emile DeBeque, Lucas Merat as Lt. Joseph Cable, Julian Mardoyan Smyth as Luther Billis, Sylvia Channing as Bloody Mary, Charles Lehner as Captain George Brackett and Noah Engel as Commander William Harbison.

"We are all very excited about this production and it has been truly a privilege to work with such a talented and committed cast," said Gerard Doyle. "We want to engender a love of live performance in every member of this cast, and in the many students watching in the audience, and to inspire them to become on-going members of the Ross theatre community."

Numbered seats will be reserved on a first come, first served basis only and can be purchased by calling 631-907-5407. Leave a message stating which performance you wish to attend and how many tickets are needed. Also leave a name and phone number so that your call can be returned in order to finalize seat location and payment instructions.

Tickets: $20 adults; $10 for students and seniors. Refreshments and tee-shirts will be available during intermission. Tickets not booked in advance will be available at the door.