The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “South Pacific†was running on PBS during their pledge weeks. It wasn’t the Mary Martin film of 1950’s, but a musical done “in concertâ€, all in character and full voice w/o sets, at Carnegie Hall. He starred as Emile the estate owner. The cast was great, but as always, Brian Stokes Mitchell stood out.
As he sings “This Nearly Was Mineâ€, he uses his voice to paint a picture of a man lamenting about a “paradise†he has always wanted and dreamt about, and just missed reaching. Beautiful and heartbreaking. (He got a standing “O†for that one.) Mr. Mitchell elevates all that he graces with his presence. From his non singing comedy turn as Trevor the weatherman on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”, to performing with the Boston Pops. Always intense, always present, he is always excellent. Known best for Broadway musical theater – I was fortunate to see him twice as the dapper & tragic “Coalhouse Walker †in “Ragtimeâ€, (1998). His other credits include Jelly’s Last Jam (1992), Kiss of the Spider Woman (1993), a revival of Cole Porter’s “Kiss Me, Kate” (1999), for which he won a Tony, and August Wilson’s “King Hedley II” (2001) His newest venture is an album – “Brian Stokes Mitchellâ€. He does Jazz, show tunes and pop standards with his own special style. He is a baritone with great feeling. I like him.
