The Pajama Game (1954 Original Broadway Cast)

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Free Music Notes for The Pajama Game (1954 Original Broadway Cast)

Free Music Review: Makes me long for the Golden Age of Broadway
Hit: 5 Stars

"The Pajama Game" was unique in its selection of subject matter; how many shows have been based upon a factory labor dispute? The theme of class struggle is dealt with in lighthearted fashion, but it still reminded the mostly affluent live audience that the women who sit and sew pajama seams hour after hour indeed end up with fingers that ache and don't have constitutions "made of rock," and that "seven and a half cents" per hour in wages can make a huge difference in one's standard of living and outlook.

Then there's the music itself, which with a few exceptions is terrific and memorable. People unfamiliar with the show will already likely know the show's biggest hits, "Hey There," made famous by Rosemary Clooney, "Steam Heat," and also the Latin-themed "Hernando's Hideaway." To lend variety to the musical offerings, there also is a humorously charming tune performed by Eddie Foy, Jr. in his role as the obsessively Taylorist "time-study man," and more comic relief in the form of a duet about obsessive jealousy by Foy and Carol Haney . There's also the rousing "Once a Year Day," the infectious duet between Janis Paige and John Raitt, "Small Talk," and the workers' triumphant finale, "Seven and a Half Cents." Overall, the quality of the songs is first-rate, and listeners will find themselves humming tunes from the show long after the cd has been tucked away in its case.

Of course, a musical cd cannot convey the total look and feel of a Broadway production, and in this case it's a shame, since the choreography and staging of "The Pajama Game" definitely added to its overall charm. After listening to the music, people today should definitely pick up the video version of the Hollywood film version of the show, so they can enjoy the visual as well as the auditory pleasures of this wonderful production.

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