The title is from the song "Some Enchanted Evening", that comes from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "South Pacific" which took place in the same setting as McHale's Navy. The original Broadway production opened at the Majestic Theater on April 7, 1949, ran for 1925 performances starring Mary Martin as Nellie Forbush and Ezio Pinza as Emile de Becque, and won the 1950 Tony Award for the Best Musical, Libretto and Score.