I wanted so much for this show to blow me away. I needed a terrific show. My daughter was having the blues and wanted a great show from Tacoma Musical Playhouse. We saw a good show. Not bad, not great. Just good. It should have been better since it had everything going for it.

First off, South Pacific, the Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein show about a gathering of Navy boys on a small island in the South Pacific during World War II, has some of the most memorable music in the business. It brought the world "Happy Talk," "Some Enchanted Evening" and "I'm Gonna Wash that Man Right Out of My Hair" just to name a few. Its story of tolerance, love during wartime, and sacrifice woven together with the songs creates a package that has proven the test of time.

And the orchestra at TMP, under the direction of Jeffrey Stvrtecky, rose to the occasion by landing some tough music and pounding out the sound. The errors weren't there. 

They occurred on the stage. 

There was a collection of small, almost unnoticeable errors, pauses and missed moments by the entire cast that dragged the show when it should have soared. Compound that with a few microphone troubles and the mysticism of theater fell away quickly.

For the good points of the show, audiences can look at the performance of Matt Posner as Lt. Joe Cable. It was solid and full of depth that isn't often seen in that role. The anchor role of the do-good Marine sent on a suicide mission is often played with little depth. Posner added some smugness and internal conflict that was refreshing. John Miller as the buck-making Luther Billis was also a treat.

 

But that is where the stellar performances ended. I wanted to love Marissa Ryder as the young and in love Nellie Forbush, but I just couldn't. She sang well and moved naturally, but her wig of corn silk hair in tight curls was just too distracting. It was like a spoof of the role. Such was also the case of Rafe Wadleigh as French plantation owner with a past, Emile de Becque. He came across as more "French" than a Monty Python skit. I have seen him do much better.

While TMP is not known for its backstage space, it is always interesting to see how the sets find their way onto the stage as the story progresses. This show went the minimalist route by changing only the necessities. The use of its loft wings as space for the "office scenes" worked really well by adding depth to the show, but it needed more to really go over the top, which is what folks expect from such a classic musical.

All in all, the choreography was solid but subtle, and the lighting was effective but unremarkable. The show was a solid night at the theater, but not a particularly memorable one. I imagine a boost of energy to the cast and a few technical changes would make this production a show for the ages, but the trouble is I didn't see that show last weekend.

[Tacoma Musical Playhouse, South Pacific, through Oct. 26, 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, special Saturday performances at 2 p.m. Oct.18 and 25, $18-$25, 7116 Sixth Ave., 253.565.6867, www.tmp.org]

The Threepenny Opera

Capital Playhouse’s The Threepenny Opera, a biting social commentary on bourgeois capitalism and modern morality during the age of Victorian London, has been updated with a further twist added to the show. Now set in later times, the show still follows the tale of the predatory outlaw known as Mack the Knife, who secretly marries the daughter of Soho’s underworld boss, Peacham, but is soon betrayed by his sinister in-laws and sent to prison. The plot twists between Mack’s old friendship with the chief of police and his feud with Peacham. 

 

[Capital Playhouse, through Nov. 1, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, $23-$35, 612 E. Fourth Ave., Olympia, 360.943.2744, www.capitalplayhouse.com]

Stories of Being Your Own Boss 

Playback Theatre is doing something a little different by staging an improv sort of show called Stories of Being Your Own Boss in collaboration with Enterprise of Equity. The show has audience members telling of moments from their lives only to have them recreated in movement, music and dialogue moments later. 

 

[Traditions Café, Friday, Oct. 10, 7:30 p.m., $5-$10, 300 S.W. Fifth Ave., Olympia, 360.943.6772]

Always … Patsy Cline 

The show is more than a tribute to the legendary country singer who died in a plane crash in 1963 at the age of 30. It follows the story of her friendship with a fan from Houston named Louise Seger, who befriended the star in a Texas honky-tonk in 1961 and continued a correspondence with Cline until her death. 

[Centerstage Theatre, through Oct. 12, 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 3200 S.W. Dash Point Road, Federal Way, 253.661.1444]