TORONTO — Some enchanted evening, indeed.

Dancap Productions says rave reviews for Sunday night's opening of the epic musical "South Pacific" at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts have been a big boon for ticket sales.

"Since the reviews have started to come out, there has been a significant spike in the demand for the tickets," Aubrey Dan, president of Dancap Productions, said in a phone interview Tuesday.

"People have seen the show last week and they're already booking to come back again because they have their friends and family they want to take."

Dan didn't give exact figures but said the show at the 2,000-seat venue has been "virtually sold out" since Sunday.

The Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, which won seven Tony Awards on Broadway two years ago, runs until Sept. 5 at the Four Seasons Centre. It's part of Dancap's inaugural Summer Series, which also included "Miss Saigon."

Toronto is the only Canadian stop for the touring production that's directed by Bartlett Sher, who won a Tony for helming the New York show.

Toronto-based Jason Howard and Carmen Cusack star in the tale of American military personnel stationed on a tropical island during the Second World War.

The story, drafted from James A. Michener's Pulitzer Prize-winning book, "Tales of the South Pacific," touches on issues of racism and love.

A 26-member orchestra, mainly made up of local Toronto musicians, play the time-honoured tunes, which include "Some Enchanted Evening" and "There Is Nothin' Like A Dame."

Local media have given the show nearly unanimous perfect scores, with the Toronto Star calling it "one hell of an enchanted evening" and the Globe and Mail declaring: "Musical magic is made again." Critics are praising everything from the strong performances and stellar directing to the lighting and acoustics.

Dan says the rapturous reviews give him a positive outlook for his company as it tries to further establish itself downtown following a two-year smash run of "Jersey Boys," which closes this Sunday.

"We have a long-term agreement with the Four Seasons so we want people to realize that we are going to have shows now and in the future at the Four Seasons," he said.

"It continues to reinforce that we are here to stay."

Dancap's agreement with the Four Seasons is for five years, during which time the theatre company will also continue its programming arrangement with the Toronto Centre for the Arts. Dancap also plans to announce a subscription season in the fall.

The company's goal is to bring in the best and most accessible shows from Broadway and London's West End, noted Dan.

"We fortunately have either producing credits or investments with seven shows on Broadway right now, so we have a very good access to the New York and to the West End pipeline."

Dan also boasted that its presence in the Four Seasons Centre is making that venue -- which is home to the Canadian Opera Company and the National Ballet of Canada -- more accessible.

"With our first production with 'Miss Saigon,' upwards of 75 per cent of all the audience had never been to that theatre," he said.

"So it's a true discovery because it was really only accessible to those people who went to opera and to the ballet. Now the theatre is accessible 12 months per year and really helps to promote cross-polonization."

"South Pacific" has been touring for about nine months and next hits Grand Rapids, Mich.

The Broadway production will be featured on the PBS series "Live From Lincoln Center" on Wednesday before it closes for good on Sunday.