THEME

Doris Day is an American actress and singer.  She made her start as a big band singer in 1939 and gained recognition in 1945 with the hit Sentimental Journey.  She has appeared in 39 films and released 29 albums.  As a big band singer, she has worked with Jimmy James, Bob Crosby (brother of Bing Crosby), and Les Brown.  She is now 87 years old and a strong supporter for animal rights.

Johnnie Ray was a popular singer throughout much of the 1950s.  He is noted for innovating the theatrical style of performance: crying, banging on the piano, falling to the floor, tearing at his hair, all done with strong emotion.  Two of his first big hits were Cry and The Little White Cloud That Cried.  This 2-sided record earned him the distinction of being the first pop singer to hit the 2-million-sold mark. As a kid, he'd lost hearing in his right ear and later lost much of the hearing in his left ear due to an operation.  Whether or not this influenced his performance style is unclear.

South Pacific is the 1949 Broadway musical, music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II.  The book was written by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan.  The plot, set in WWII, centers around an American nurse who falls in love with an expat French plantation owner.  The musical explores racial prejudice and the subject of interracial marriage.  Hit songs to come from this great musical include: Bali Ha'i, I'm Gonna Wash the Man Right Outta My Hair, Some Enchanted Evening, and Younger Than Springtime.  The show has won 10 Tony Awards, and the 2008 Broadway revival was a colossal success, earning the show another 7 Tony Awards.