The Tony Award-winning musical "The Pamaja Game," with its favorite hits "Hey There," "Steam Heat" and "Hernando's Hideaway," will be performed Thursday through Saturday [OCT. 14-16] at East Central University.
Showtime, ECU's musical theatre ensemble, will present the musical at 7:30 each night in the Chalmers Herman Theatre in the Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center. Seating is limited.
![Showtime, the musical theatre ensemble at East Central University, will perform a studio version of 'The Pajama Game' at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday [OCT. 14-16] in the Chalmers Herman Theatre in ECU's Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center. General admission tickets are $5 and are available from cast members or by calling the ECU Musical Theatre Office at 580-559-5756. Tickets for ECU students, faculty and staff and youngsters under age 12 are $2.](http://www1.ecok.edu/SiteContent/1/images/news/Showtime9357small.jpg)
Showtime, the musical theatre ensemble at East Central University, will perform a studio version of 'The Pajama Game' at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday [OCT. 14-16] in the Chalmers Herman Theatre in ECU's Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center. General admission tickets are $5 and are available from cast members or by calling the ECU Musical Theatre Office at 580-559-5756. Tickets for ECU students, faculty and staff and youngsters under age 12 are $2.
"We have chosen to do a studio-type version of this wonderful piece," said the show's director, Patrick Sweet, ECU director of music theatre. "During my time in New York, I was able to see Harry Connick Jr. and Oklahoma's own Kelli O'Hara perform in the revival at the Roundabout Theater in 2006. It was amazing then, and we hope to have replicated a giggle and a grin by the time the bows are taken on this show."
Sweet will be the accompanist for the musical.
The "Pajama Game" is based on the novel "7 1/2 Cents" by Richard Bissell. The 7 ½ cents refers to an hourly raise demanded by workers in a pajama factory. Their demands go unheeded, and in the midst of the labor problems, Babe, the grievance committee head, and Sid, the new factory superintendent, begin falling in love.
Chris Geisler, Little Axe senior, plays Sid. Lacee Elliott, Davis sophomore, portrays Babe.
Cast in comic supporting roles are Ryan Corley, Shawnee junior, as the cartoonish time study man Hines, with Kendra Camplain, Ringling sophomore, as Gladys, the secretary who inspires Hines to wild fits of jealousy; Derek Reed, Pauls Valley sophomore, as Prez, the union president; and James Weese, Tulsa freshman, as Hasler, the blustering factory owner and other roles.
Lesly Walker, Beardon senior, plays Mabel, a mother figure, and Laura Knight, Stratford sophomore, and Kelli Clark, Wright City freshman, play working girls Mae and Poopsie. Chris Adkins, Jenks freshman, handles the multiple roles of Joe, Charley and Max.
Other cast members are Erica Monks, Stigler freshman, as Brenda; Ashlyn Anderson, Norman freshman, as Carmen; and Ginna Hogan, Fittstown freshman, as Mara, Charlene and Ann.
General admission tickets are $5 and are available from Showtime cast members or by calling the ECU Musical Theatre Office at 580-559-5756. Tickets for ECU students, faculty and staff and youngsters under age 12 are $2.
The original Broadway production opened in May 1954, ran for 1,063 performances and won a Tony for Best Musical. It was revived on Broadway in 1973 and again in 2006, and that revival won a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. Doris Day and John Raitt played the title roles in the 1957 film version.
Richard Adler and Jerry Ross wrote the score. Three of their songs were recorded by popular artists and reached the top of the Hit Parade. Patti Page's version of "Steam Heat" reached No. 9 and Archie Bleyer made it to No. 2 with "Hernando's Hideaway. Rosemary Clooney's recording of "Hey There" made it to No. 1.
# # #