"I think it's going to be really, really good," castmember Amanda Blaszczynski said of the Springville Community Theater's production of "South Pacific," which opens tonight

Amanda Blaszczynski had never seen the stage version of “South Pacific” before auditioning for the part of a military nurse in the Springville Community Theater’s production of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical.

“I had seen the movie,” she said, seated at her kitchen table on a recent afternoon.  “The play is a lot better.  I think it’s a lot funnier, and I think it’s going to be really, really good.  There are some talented people in this show, definitely.”

Blaszczynski and her 13-year-old daughter will appear in several scenes when the show opens at 7 p.m. today in the Springville Middle School auditorium.  Performances are also scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.

Enjoying a brief moment of downtime between work and rehearsal, she explained why she wanted to be involved with the production, identified its challenges and rewards, and named her favorite scene from the show.

“South Pacific:”  The musical, based on James Michener’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book “Tales of the South Pacific,” centers around an American nurse stationed in the South Pacific and her romance with a French plantation owner.  It produced the standards “Bali Ha’i,” “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair,” “Some Enchanted Evening,” and “Happy Talk.”

Blaszczynski’s favorite scene:  “Probably ‘Wash That Man.’ The feedback we’ve gotten from people who’s seen us rehearse it has been really good.  It’s a fun scene to be in.  It’s just a bunch of girls hanging out on the beach and being silly, as girls do.  The context of the song and the dancing are fun.  The choreographer did a good job with it, and we have such a good time doing it, I think the audience will love it.”

Is she nervous about opening night?  “I can’t help but be. It’s a lot of dance numbers for somebody my age to have to learn.  Not being some great athlete, I’ve had to train in a sense to be able to do it.  Singing and dancing at the same time sounds a lot easier than it actually is.  It really is a task to undertake, and I was completely out of breath after the first night of rehearsal.  Still, it’s a lot of fun.”

Her stage debut:  “My first show was ‘Oklahoma!’ here in Springville three years ago.  I was one of Laurey’s friends.  I’ve always loved to sing, in high school and at church, but I never had the guts to sing in front of people.  But I decided to audition, and I had a great experience with ‘Oklahoma!’”

What she enjoys most about theater:  “A lot of things.  It’s a lot of hard work, especially when you have a full-time job and a family.  It’s hard to give that time away, but you meet a lot of different people.  I do love to sing, and I feel like this is something I can do for myself.  It’s really fun that Madison and I get to do this show together.”

Her day job:  Blaszczynski has a doctorate in audiology.  “Ever since I was in the fourth grade, I’d wanted to be a speech therapist.  But my senior year of college, I actually started doing therapy, and I hated it.  I had taken an audiology class, and the more I thought about it, the more I felt that’s what I should do, so here I am.”

How she describes herself:  “I’m one of those kinds of people, what you see is what you get.  Friendly, honest, caring.  I think I’m fun to be around most of the time.  At least I try to be.”

If she were stranded on a desert island with one book, one meal, and one CD:  “The book would be the last Harry Potter book, the meal would be a steak with a baked potato and salad, and the CD would be anything by Evan Essence.”

Her favorite indulgence:  “A java chip frappucino from Starbucks.”

What makes her laugh:  “My husband and my kids.  I love my family and thank God every day for what I have.  I think I’m very blessed.”

The best part of being a mom:  “It’s hard to sum that up.  I guess I’d have to say watching them grow and seeing them do the things you’ve taught them to do.  That, and the unconditional love you have for your kids and they have for you.”