Goodspeed Musicals' new production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific begins its run at the Connecticut theatre June 14, with Chay Yew (Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord) at the helm. Performances will continue through August 11.

The cast features Danielle Wade as Nellie Forbush. Raised in LaSalle, Ontario, Wade, winner of the 2012 Canadian reality series "Over the Rainbow", starred as Dorothy Gale in the North American premiere of Lloyd Webber's stage adaptation of The Wizard of Oz and in its subsequent North American tour. Between 2025 and 2017, wade appeared in five musicals for Drayton Entertainment, and in 2018 starred in The Music Man at the Stratford festival. Wade made her Broadway debut in Mean Girls, a musical based on the Tina Fey movie

The show also stars Omar Lopez-Cepero (American Idiot) as Emile deBecque, Sky Vaux Fuller as Ngana, Emjay Roa as Jerome, Joan Almedilla (Miss Saigon) as Bloody Mary, Alex Humphreys (Dear Evan Hansen) as Liat, Keven Quillon (Sweeney Todd) as Luther Billis and Cameron Loyal (Bad Cinderella) as Lt. Cable.

The ensemble includes Ethan Hardy Benson, Kelly Berman, Eric Briarly, Chloe Fox, Graham Keen, Hannah Jewel Kohn, Danny Lindgren, Alexa Jane Lowis, John Michael Peterson, James Michael Reilly, Eric Shawn, Nicolette Shin, Phil Sloves, and Ethan Van Slyke. Rounding out the company are swings John Barsoian and Alyssa Sunew, and understudy Phoenix Noelle. Casting is by Peter Van Dam for Tara Rubin Casting.

Adapted from James A. Michener's Pulitzer-winning novel Tales of the South Pacific, the musical theatre classic contains such favorites as "Some Enchanted Evening," "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair," "Bali Hai," and "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught."

The creative team includes choreographer Parker Esse, music director Adam Souza, scenic designer Alexander Dodge, costume designer Junghyun Georgia Lee, lighting designer Amith Chandrashaker, sound designer Jay Hilton, wig and hair designer Tommy Kurzman, production stage manager Chris Zaccardi, and assistant stage manager Madison Nophsker. The production also features orchestrations by Dan DeLange.

Visit Goodspeed Opera.

From Logan Culwell-Block for playbill.com.

Photo: Danielle Wade.