South Pacific was the first Broadway musical to win all four major Tony Awards for acting in a single production. Its actors won for leading actor, leading actress, featured actor, and featured actress at the 1950 Tony Awards.
The musical has music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan. It is based on James A. Michener’s 1947 book Tales of the South Pacific. The story is set during World War II on islands in the South Pacific and examines romance, military life, and racial prejudice.
Mary Martin won Best Actress for Nellie Forbush, and Ezio Pinza won Best Actor for Emile de Becque. Juanita Hall won Featured Actress for Bloody Mary, while Myron McCormick won Featured Actor for Luther Billis.
South Pacific also won the Tony Award for Best Musical. Its songs include “Some Enchanted Evening,” “Bali Ha’i,” and “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught,” the last of which directly addresses prejudice.