"I'm as corny as Kansas in August...."

[pat]

For any of you whose only exposure to Rodgers & Hammerstein was to The Sound of Music with Julie Andrews, check out South Pacific. PBS had a presentation of the musical "in concert" -- they only sing the songs -- and it was wonderful.

Brian Stokes Mitchell? Oh. My.

South Pacific came out in 1949, and its major theme was racial prejudice. In 1949. It included the following number:

"You've Got to Be Carefully Taught"

You've got to be taught
To hate and fear,
You've got to be taught
From year to year,
It's got to be drummed
In your dear little ear
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made,
And people whose skin is a diff'rent shade,
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught before it's too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate,
You've got to be carefully taught!

It was suggested to the composers that the number be dropped, and Hammerstein said you might as well cancel the entire show. During its first tour, the show did not play cities which required that the number be dropped from the play.

It's very good.