South Pacific Manila 2026: The Comeback
Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific is back in Metro Manila for eight performances at the Proscenium Theater in Rockwell, Makati, from September 12 to 20, 2026.
Presented by the University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music in partnership with the College of Commerce and Business Administration, South Pacific: The Comeback stars Ciara Sotto as Nellie Forbush and Jose Vera Perez as Emile de Becque. Paolo O'Hara directs, with Daniel Bartolome leading the UST Symphony Orchestra.
Update, September 14, 2026: I have since seen this production. Read my South Pacific review for the performances, the UST Symphony Orchestra, and the view from K26. The preview below records what I knew before seeing it.
For me, the title comes with an old memory.
I remember seeing a South Pacific programme at home when I was younger, but I don't remember actually watching the show. Repertory Philippines staged South Pacific in 1997, and that must have been the programme I remember.
What I do remember is already knowing "Some Enchanted Evening" and "Happy Talk." I can't place exactly where I first heard them. They were simply songs I knew before I really knew South Pacific.
Seeing the musical on a Manila stage again almost three decades later hits a familiar note.
Why South Pacific still matters
South Pacific opened on Broadway in 1949, with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan. It is based on James Michener's Tales of the South Pacific.
The original Broadway production won all ten Tony Awards for which it was nominated, including Best Musical, and received the 1950 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
The awards belong to theater history. The subject at the heart of South Pacific doesn't feel quite as distant.
Set during World War II, the musical follows two love stories complicated by racial prejudice. American Navy nurse Nellie Forbush falls in love with French plantation owner Emile de Becque, then has to confront her own prejudice after learning about his family. Lt. Joseph Cable falls for Liat while struggling with prejudices he has been taught himself.
"You've Got to Be Carefully Taught" makes the point remarkably plainly for a musical that opened in 1949.
That's what keeps South Pacific from being just a collection of beautiful old songs. It can give you "Some Enchanted Evening," "Bali Ha'i" and "Happy Talk" while asking its characters to face something much less comfortable.
Ciara Sotto leads the South Pacific cast
Ciara Sotto plays Nellie Forbush. Her musical theater credits include Rent, Sweet Charity, The Full Monty, Grease and Magsimula Ka. She also studied voice at the UST Conservatory of Music.
Jose Vera Perez plays Emile de Becque. A composer, music director and classical-contemporary vocal artist, he has played Emile before in a Resorts World Manila concert production of South Pacific.
Nenen Espina plays Bloody Mary, with Sean Nolasco as Lt. Joseph Cable.
The cast also includes Erika Salas as Liat, Rod Samut as Luther Billis, Sherwin Sozon as Captain George Brackett, Raymond Yadao as Commander William Harbison, Maria Regina Roldan as Ngana, Gianino Sarita as Jerome, and Liam Bautista as Young Jerome.
Why the live UST Symphony Orchestra matters
One of the biggest reasons I'm curious about this production is the UST Symphony Orchestra.
South Pacific is the kind of musical that benefits enormously from having an orchestra in the room. The songs are famous enough to stand on their own, but much of their theatrical power comes from what surrounds the voices.
"Some Enchanted Evening" needs that sweep. "Bali Ha'i" needs its atmosphere. "Younger Than Springtime" gets much of its romantic lift from the music underneath the vocal line.
A live orchestra can also breathe with the performers. The conductor and musicians can shape a phrase, hold a moment, move with a scene and respond to what is happening onstage.
It isn't simply accompaniment. The orchestra helps tell the story.
For a score that has lasted more than 75 years, hearing it played live by the UST Symphony Orchestra may be one of the strongest reasons to see this particular South Pacific.
South Pacific Manila 2026 schedule
South Pacific: The Comeback plays eight performances at the Proscenium Theater in Rockwell Center, Makati.
| Date | Time | Notes as of September 14 |
|---|---|---|
| September 12, Saturday | 2:00 PM | Past performance |
| September 12, Saturday | 7:30 PM | Opening Night Gala; past performance |
| September 13, Sunday | 2:00 PM | Past performance |
| September 13, Sunday | 7:30 PM | Past performance |
| September 18, Friday | 7:30 PM | |
| September 19, Saturday | 2:00 PM | |
| September 19, Saturday | 7:30 PM | Gala |
| September 20, Sunday | 2:00 PM |
Venue: Proscenium Theater, Rockwell Center, Makati City
South Pacific ticket prices and discounts
| Seating section | Price |
|---|---|
| Orchestra Center | ₱5,500 |
| Orchestra Sides | ₱4,500 |
| Dress Circle Center | ₱2,500 |
| Dress Circle Sides | ₱1,000 |
Students can get 30% off using STUD30. Senior citizens can use SENC20 for 20% off, while PWD ticket buyers can use SPWD20 for 20% off. Valid IDs must be presented on the day of the performance.
Thomasian alumni can also get 25% off for the September 20, 2:00 PM performance with an Alumni Card. The discount code is being sent through UST alumni channels.
For group bookings of more than 50 seats, contact Ticketbooth directly for the available group discount.
Book South Pacific: The Comeback tickets on Ticketbooth.ph.
I may not remember seeing Repertory Philippines' South Pacific in 1997, but I remember the programme and the songs. Almost three decades later, I finally get another chance.
For other productions playing this season, browse the Manila Theater calendar.