Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II sure knew how to write songs. Their musical “South Pacific” is rife with classic numbers: “Some Enchanted Evening,” “There Is Nothing Like a Dame,” “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair,” “I’m in Love with a Wonderful Guy” … I could go on, but the newspaper might run out of ink.

What this means is that theatergoers will be humming along when Goodspeed Musicals opens its production of “South Pacific” on Friday. This is the show that had to be postponed (and postponed again) because of the pandemic. How exciting that it’s finally here.

The story is culled from James A. Michener’s “Tales of the South Pacific,” and it’s set during World War II on a Pacific island. An American Army nurse finds herself in a whirlwind romance with a French plantation owner, and a lieutenant falls for a local girl. The script has more on its mind than just love stories; it also deals with racial prejudice, including in the renowned number “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught.”

“South Pacific,” Fri.-Aug. 11, The Goodspeed, 6 Main St., East Haddam; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Wed., 7:30 p.m. Thurs., 8 p.m. Fri., 3 and 8 p.m. Sat., and 2 p.m. Sun.; also 2 p.m. on select Thursdays, and 6:30 p.m. on select Sundays; tickets start at $30, and prices subject to change based on availability; (860) 873-8668, goodspeed.org.