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The
Pajama Game
Jerry Ross/ Richard Adler/George
Abbott/Richard Bissell
The Roundabout Theatre Company’s revival of the 1950’s
Richard Adler and Jerry Ross musical, The Pajama Game, was a hot ticket before
the curtain ever went up on the first preview. The good news is that the production,
which is directed ably, if a bit predictably, by Kathleen Marshall, should please many
theatergoers. The Roundabout has spared no expense when it comes to production values
and gives the show a luscious, beautifully ornamented production. Set in 1954 Cedar
Rapids, Iowa, Marshall and her creative team create an idealized world of bright colors
and vivid hues. The set is adorned with huge buttons that pepper the landscape and
the period costumes by Martin Pakledinaz are vibrant, elegant and appropriately quirky
when necessary.
Act One is filled with the sort of shtick and over-exuberant generic
Broadway choreography that is found in just about every revival of a mid-century
musical. The book, by George Abbott and Richard Bissell, revolves around the
seemingly doomed love affair between a factory supervisor and a union leader at a time of
a hostile labor negotiation. There is not much to the story (boy meets girl, loses
girl and subsequently gets her back rather easily) and several secondary plotlines are
invented to sustain the show through two acts.
However, the razor-thin book and
contrived scenarios are rescued by a bevy of veteran performers, whose standouts include
Jen Cody, as a saucy factory worker, and Megan Lawrence as the beleaguered girlfriend of
the possessive Hines (Michael McKean in a terrific supporting performance.) Act
Two picks up considerably; the choreography shifts away from the cutesy, prancing,
arms-akimbo moves of the first act and improves greatly with the Fosse throwback,
“Steam Heat,” and the fantastically frenetic “Hernando’s
Hideway.”
Marshall has two huge weapons in her arsenal in Harry Connick, Jr. and
Kelli O’Hara as the show’s star-crossed lovers. The Pajama Game
marks the stage debut of Mr. Connick, who quite surprisingly turns out to be a
revelation. His acting may not have the polish and nuance of more seasoned stage
performers, but his inexperience serves his character, factory supervisor Sid Sorokin
well. Sid is a man’s man, unpolished, direct and overtly
physical. He’s the kind of guy that loves to roll up his sleeves and repair
machines and the performer’s earnest, straightforward approach is right on target.
There is no denying that the handsome Mr. Connick is comfortable on a
stage. He has a hypnotic stage presence and magnetism that are unrivaled. Apart
from not being too hard on the eyes, Connick has a rich, jazzy and melodic speaking voice
that is so smooth one almost believes he is singing his dialogue. But it is during
the musical numbers that Connick excels and the thunderous applause that follows each of
his numbers could very well bring the American Airlines Theatre roof down. During the
solos “A New Town is a Blue Town” and “Hey There,” he uses his artful
skills as a crooner to create an intimacy with the audience that connects them directly
into the character’s private moments. There is no need for the overblown belting
that is so traditional in the Broadway theatre when a master song stylist like Connick can
deliver such exceptional renditions of classic songs. Overall, it is an impressive
stage debut for the legendary performer.
Connick turns out to be a quadruple threat, as evidenced in
“Hernando’s Hideway,” where an already raucous production number is taken
to new heights with the inspired addition of a musical instrument (care to guess which
one?) Ms. Lawrence is perfection as the drunk, lusty Gladys out for a night on the
town with the factory hunk. Mr. Connick, never more comfortable than when tinkling
the ivories, delivers the goods magnificently—acting, dancing, singing and playing
his trademark piano fantastically in what is hands down, the show’s most original,
show-stopping number.
Kelli O’Hara, as Babe Williams, the union leader turned romantic
interest, is every bit his equal, a sassy, strong woman ahead of the times. Her sweet
soprano is a wonderful complement to Connick’s deep, smooth sounds. During the
terrific “There Once Was a Man” number, the two generate the kind of sizzle and
joyfulness that sends audiences into a frenzy. The Pajama Game may be
mindless entertainment, but it is first-rate escapism. With its stunning physical
production, superb ensemble, smoldering star and beguiling leading lady, it proves to be
irresistible. The chemistry between Connick and O’Hara is undeniable and the
sexy couple make the most of their numbers and together salvage what could have been a
mediocre revival into the year’s surprise critical hit.
New York, April 10, 2006
- Nella Vera
CD
