(From left) Elise Ragsdale, of Clifton, as Ngana; Philip Hackett, of Ringwood, as Emile de Becque; Sarah Strickland, of Washington Township, as Ensign Nellie Forbush; and Alias Ragsdale, of Clifton, as Jerome.
PARAMUS, N.J. – Bergenstages theatrical series continues with the Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein classic “South Pacific” next month. Known as a story about love and war that gives reason to think twice about attitudes, the play opens at Bergen Community College Friday, April 8.
Set on an island during World War II, the play centers on two unlikely parallel romances threatened by prejudice and war. One love story develops between Emile de Becque, a French plantation owner, and Nellie Forbush, an Army nurse from Arkansas, while another ignites between Lt. Joseph Cable and a beautiful Tonkinese girl. When Emile is recruited to accompany Joe on a dangerous mission, Nellie realizes that life is too short not to seize her own chance for happiness.
The show runs Thursdays through Saturdays from Friday, April 8 to Saturday, April 16 at 7:30 p.m. – with a special sign interpreted performance Friday, April 15. On Saturday, April 9 and April 16, matinee performances will take place at 2 p.m. All performances will be held at the Anna Maria Ciccone Theatre at the College’s main campus, 400 Paramus Road, Paramus. Ticket prices for the general public are $15, with discounts offered to senior citizens and students. Guests can purchase tickets to the show and the gala by calling (201) 447-7428 or online at tickets.bergen.edu.
The College’s Alumni Association will host a special opening night gala Friday, April 8 at 6:30 p.m. Ticket prices for the gala are $25, which also includes admission to the play. All gala proceeds will benefit Bergen’s Alumni Association.
Based in Paramus, Bergen Community College (www.bergen.edu), a public two-year coeducational college, enrolls 15,000 students at locations in Paramus, the Philip Ciarco Jr. Learning Center in Hackensack and Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands in Lyndhurst. The College offers associate degree, certificate and continuing education programs in a variety of fields. More students graduate from Bergen than any other community college in the state.
# # #