I'm in Love with a Wonderful Guy I'm in Love with a Wonderful Guy "A Wonderful Guy" is a show tune from the 1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "South Pacific." It was first introduced by Mary Martin in the original Broadway production and sung by Mitzi Gaynor in the 1958 film adaptation. In the show, Nellie sings this song after being convinced that despite the racial differences between her and Emile, there is good in him. And so she is elated to be in love with him. Rodgers and Hammerstein were as inspired by Mary Martin's personality as they were by the character of Nellie Forbush to
South Pacific (musical) allowed him to quit his job as an editor at Macmillan and to become a full-time writer. Over the next five decades, his lengthy, detailed novels centering on different places would dominate the bestseller lists. The role of Nellie Forbush was the first time with Hammerstein that Rodgers made the leading female role a belter, rather than a lyric soprano like Laurey in "Oklahoma!" and Julie in "Carousel". According to Mordden, "Nellie was something new in R&H, carrying a goodly share of the score on a 'Broadway' voice". Nellie does not sing together with Emile, because Rodgers promised Martin that