The Pajama Game
Musical in 2 Acts, 17 Scenes - Book by George Abbott and Richard Bissell; Music and Lyrics by Richard Adler & Jerry Ross; Based on the novel "Seven And A Half Cents" by Richard Bissell
St James Theatre, Broadway - 13 May, 1954 (1061 perfs)
Synopsis
ONLY American expertise could have created such a musical as this; a story about a Trade Union dispute set against a background of factory machines, played by factory hands, office workers and shop stewards. Yet it is one of the happiest, most romantic and richly comical musicals ever to be imported and packed with hit tunes.
The Leading Man has baritone songs such as "Hey There" and "A New Town Is a Blue Town". The modern-mezzo leading lady has "I'm Not At All In Love", while together they sing "Small Talk" and "There Once Was A Man".
The young dancer-singer, Elizabeth Seal, made her name in the smaller part of Gladys, and stopped the show with "Steam Heat" and "Hernando's Hideaway". The comedy part of Hines has "Think Of the Time I Save" and "I Would Trust Her" (I'll Never be Jealous Again"). There is exciting chorus work in the ensembles "Racing With the Clock". "Seven and a Half Cents" and the rousing "Once A Year Day". All of the music has great appeal to young audiences.
The Story
(The Present)
A strike is imminent at the Sleep-Tite Pajama Factory. The Union is seeking a wage rise of seven and a half cents an hour. Sid and Babe are in opposite camps yet a romance is born between them. At first Babe rejects him and Sid is forced to confide his feelings to a dictaphone. During the picnic for the factory workers he makes better progress but their estrangement is reinforced when they return to the factory. A go-slow is staged by the Union, strongly supported by Babe. Sid, as factory superintendent, demands an 'honest day's work' and threatens to fire slackers. Babe is enraged by his attitude and kicks her foot into the machinery, causes a general breakdown and is immediately fired by Sid. Hines, the popular efficiency expert, is in love with Gladys the President's secretary. Periodically, he brings a more optimistic outlook to the life of the factory. Becoming convinced that Babe's championship of the Union is justified, Sid simulates an interest in Gladys by taking her out for the evening to the night club, Hernando's Hideaway. Through her help he is eventually able to gain access to the firm's books and discovers that the boss has been adding to his price the pay increase demanded by the workers. Sid then brings about his boss, Hasler's, consent to a pay rise and is able to bring peace to the factory and to his love life. Everyone goes out to celebrate - at Hernando's Hideaway.
Cast (plus Chorus)
- Sid Sorokin (baritone)
- Babe Williams (mezzo)
- Hines (baritone)
- Gladys (mezzo)
- Prez
- Joe
- Hasler
- Mabel
- Charlie
- Mae
- Brenda
- Poopsie
- Salesman
Musial Numbers
Overture
- The Pajama Game - Opening (Hines)
- "The
pajama game is the game I'm in"
- Racing
With the Clock -
Girls - "Hurry up!"
- SONG - A New Town Is a Blue
Town - (Sid) - ""A new town is a
blue town"
- Racing With the Clock - Reprise
- SONG - I'm Not At All In Love -
(Babe, Girls) - "All you gotta do is say "Hello" to
a man"
- I'm NOt at All In Love - Change
- DUET - I'll Never Be Jealous
Again -
(Mabel, Hines) - "That's easier said than done"
- INTRODUCTION to Hey, There
8a - Hey There - (Sid) - "Hey there, you with the stars in your eyes"
- DUET - Her Is - (Prez, Gladys)
- "I wouldn't never tell this to nobody"
9a - Her Is - (Chorus) - "Her is a kinda doll what drives a person bats"
9b - Her Is - Dance
9c - Sleep Tite - (Factory employees) - "Sleep-tite, we pledge our hearts"
- ENSEMBLE & DANCE - Once A Year Day -
(Company) - "This is my once a year day"
10a - Once a Year Day - Crossover
- REPRISE - Her Is
- DUET: Small Talk - (Babe, Sid)
- "I don't wanna talk small talk"
12a - INCIDENTAL - I'm Not In Love
- DUET - There Once Was a Man - Sid,
Babe - "There once was a man who loved a woman"
- FACTORY MUSIC
14a - Slow Down - (Girls)
14b - Factory Music
- FINALE Act 1 - "Better forget her"
- ENTR'ACTE
16a - OPENING ACT II
- TRIO - Steam Heat - (Gladys, Boys)
- "I got steam heat"
17a - INCIDENTAL - Small Talk
- REPRISE - Hey There - (Babe) -
"Hey there, you withthe stars in your eyes"
18a - FACTORY MUSIC
- SONG - Think Of the Time I
Save - (Hines) - "I'm
a time study man"
- ENSEMBLE - Hernando's Hideaway - (Gladys,
Chorus) - "I know a dark secluded place"
20b - INCIDENTAL - Hernando's Hideaway
- BALLET (Part 1) - I'll Never Be Jealous
Again
21b - BALLET - Part 2
- INCIDENTAL - Hey There
- ENSEMBLE - Seven and a Half
Cents - (Prez, Babe
and company) - "I figured it out"
23a - RUSH MUSIC
- REPRISE - There Once Was a Man -
(Babe, Sid) - "More than a lion loves her cub"
- CLOSING - The Pajama Game
REPRISE - Seven and a Half Cents.
Scenes
ACT I.
Scene 1 - Sewing Room of the Sleep Tite Pajama Factory
Scene 2 - The same
Scene 2 - A Hallway in the Factory
Scene 4 - The Office
Scene 5 - On the way to the Union Picnic
Scene 6 - Picnic Ground
Scene 7 - Picnic Path
Scene 8 - The Kitchen of Babe's House
Scene 9 - A Hallway in the Factory
Scene 10 - The Shop
ACT II
Scene 1 - Eagle Hall
Scene 2 - The Kitchen of Babe's House
Scene 3 - A Hallway in the Factory
Scene 4 - The Office
Scene 5 - Hernando's Hideaway
Scene 6 - Morning in the Office
Scene 7 - A Street near the Park
PLACE - The action takes place in a small town in the Middle West
TIME: - The Present
Libretto and Vocal Score on Sale
Instrumentation:
(Total number of books = 16)
2 Alto saxophones/Bb Clarinets; 2 Tenor saxophones/Bb Clarinets; 2 Bb Trumpets, 2 Trombones; Percussion, Guitar; Strings (much " divisi " writing in both 1st and 2nd Violins).
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Choreography can be accommodated to the resources available. The fact of the period being present day makes
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