Tag Archives: Royal Players

Creative Class of 2015: Erin Martinez

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erin54Moving with ease from a portraying a frustrated actress to an earthy Italian strumpet, Erin Martinez has had a memorable 2015 on Little Rock stages. Along the way, this singer/musician, actor, and music teacher has performed cabaret at various Little Rock night spots as well.

​During her childhood she spent many hours singing, composing, or teaching herself to play various instruments. She has been actively involved in performing in orchestra, band, jazz band, and theatre arts well into her adulthood.

In addition to appearing earlier this year in The Studio Theatre productions of The Last 5 Years and Nine, ​Erin has acted in theatrical productions (sometimes even in shows without numbers in the title) with several Central Arkansas companies such as The Weekend Theater, The Royal Players, The Community Theater of Little Rock. She made her NYC debut in November 2013 at 54 Below with Broadway composer Jason Robert Brown.

​Erin received a Bachelor of Music Performance, Bachelor of Music Education, and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from The University of Central Arkansas. She enjoys a career teaching elementary music to children ages 4-12 and is very passionate about the importance of fine arts education.

Little Rock Look Back: Oscar Hammerstein II

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OHIIOn July 12, 1895, Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein, better known as Oscar Hammerstein II was born. He spent his entire professional life working in the theatre.  One of the musicals he wrote was South Pacific, which featured a character from Little Rock.

In the source novel, Tales of the South Pacific, Forbush is from rural Arkansas.  When Hammerstein, Richard Rodgers and Joshua Logan were adapting it for the stage, they moved the character to Little Rock (or “Small Rock” as the French planter Emil De Becque mistakenly refers to it).

Little Rock is referred to throughout the show.  One song, “My Girl Back Home” contained musical references to Arkansas’ capitol city.  That song was cut before South Pacific opened on Broadway.  It was, however, included in the movie version.  It was also reinstated and included in the 2008 Broadway revival.

Mary Martin won a Tony for originating the role of Nellie Forbush on Broadway. One of the actors who succeeded her was Cloris Leachman. Kelli O’Hara received a Tony nomination in 2008 for the Broadway revival.

South Pacific became the second musical to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It also became the first winner of the Pulitzer for Drama to be based on another Pulitzer prize winner — James Michener won the Pulitzer for Tales of the South Pacific.

Hammerstein’s creation of a character from Little Rock caused problems when the show was being performed in late 1957 and for a few years after.  With the 1957 desegregation crisis still fresh in people’s memories, a show about a woman from Little Rock facing her own racial prejudices was sometimes a bit much for audiences. Apparently some audiences would boo when Little Rock was mentioned.  But Rodgers and Hammerstein did not change her hometown.

At the 1999 celebration marking the 50th anniversary of South Pacific opening on Broadway, a proclamation from then-Little Rock Mayor Jim Dailey was read.  It paid tribute to Nellie Forbush as an ambassador (albeit fictional) for Little Rock. The proclamation noted that her optimism, forbearance and ability to change for the better were emblems of Little Rock.  Since these were attributes which Mr. Hammerstein himself exhibited, one suspects he would be pleased.

Hammerstein died in 1960 during the run of The Sound of Music (which like South Pacific starred Mary Martin).

For those wanting to see an Oscar Hammerstein II show on his birthday or during his birth month, South Pacific has just started a run in Benton at the Royal Players.