Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...And when Adams' rich baritone rings out on "This Nearly Was Mine," you could feel the collective hairs raising on the necks of the audience in Cahn Auditorium. When all else is stripped away, you go to "South Pacific" to be reminded of the groundbreaking power of the mid-century American musical. Light Opera Works delivers that and makes us feel like we're in the company of a familiar friend."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...
It is all too easy to take Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II for granted. Of course many of their musicals have been part of the DNA of several generations of theatergoers. But by now almost as many Broadway fans have not seen most of their shows performed live, especially backed by a full orchestra. And the very familiarity of their songs can make it easy to forget just how powerfully they address such enduring matters as prejudice, war, politics and romance.
Light Opera Works’ fine revival of “South Pacific,” a late summer treat at Evanston’s Cahn Auditorium, is an instant corrective. It also is a vivid reminder of how this 1949 musical — with its book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan based on James A. Michener’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “Tales of the South Pacific” — not only captured the spirit of Americans deployed far from home during World War II, but dealt with the issue of lingering racism in the United States."
ShowBizChicago - Highly Recommended
"...Roger L. Bingaman’s musical direction is simply superb. When this 30 piece, union orchestra swells with the glorious score it is quite literally a soul-stirring experience. Seeing much of Bingaman’s work I can’t help feeling that he is at the zenith of a long, illustrious career and Light Opera Works is fortunate to have him at the musical helm."
Stage and Cinema - Highly Recommended
"...Whether Lindy Hopping or Jitterbugging, the large chorus of sailors and nurses captivate as much as convince. Catherine Young and Sydney Dukfa deliver superb time-traveling, culture-contrasting costumes, and Andrew H. Meyers offers dramatic lighting throughout. Adam Veness's evocative set employs an appropriately curtain of parachute silk to frame postcard vistas of the Pacific. His overarching tropical canopy delivers a free trip to paradise. Cahn Auditorium just became a destination vacation."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...This production of South Pacific has outstanding sets (by Adam Veness) with stellar lighting (by Andrew Meyers) that together with the full sound of Roger L. Bingman’s orchestra created a most enchanted production. It is refreshing to see this classic ingeniously written and composed musical play in it’s original form without any cuts utilizing all the original elements that make it one of the finest artful musical ever! Take anyone who has never witnessed this fantastic musical to Cahn Auditorium in Evanston to experience one of the finest blends of lyrics to music to tell a story ever written for the stage."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...One thing audiences can be sure of when they attend a production that Light Opera Works does, “musical magic” as Roger L. Bingaman and his orchestra bring us the feeling that original audiences felt as they witnessed the original Broadway production. Because they use a full orchestra, at a very high cost, they are limited to the number of performances. They continue to go for the “quality over quantity” in each production they bring us, and it is no surprise that their current production- Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “South Pacific” is a delight from start to finish."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...There is so much to recommend in this gorgeous, theme-driven production. The cast is perfection, the orchestra is full and rich. The show’s technical support is flawless and, of course, the musical itself is an American treasure. Quite simply put, to miss this production is to miss out on one of the year’s very best."
