‘The Pajama Game' draws crowds to River Campus

A labor dispute at a pajama factor may not sound captivating, but add an orchestra, humor and a dash of romance, and suddenly sleepwear production politics aren't so mundane.

That's exactly what Southeast Missouri State University students did in their production of "The Pajama Game" last week and Sunday at the Bedell Performance Hall on the River Campus.

"This was some wonderful entertainment," said Rita Weber, who attended the final show Sunday afternoon. "I think it's great we have this type of entertainment."

The play centers around the Sleep-Tite Pajama Factory and its new superintendent, Sid Sorokin. When the union requests a pay raise, Sid finds himself in a bind when the love of his life, Babe Williams, pushes for the raise as the union grievance committee's leader. The dispute pits management against labor and also ignites a battle of the sexes.

The Tony Award-winning production required the student actors to sing and dance, something audience member Vickie Webb said they did with ease.

"The students put on as good a show as the professionals," Webb said.

"This was an excellent show," said Wendell Miller. Sunday's performance was the first musical Miller had seen. "The actor who played Sid is just amazing to be able to sing and dance like that."

The performance reminded audience member Tom Fitzgerald of performances he had seen in Albuquerque, N.M., which Fitzgerald says has a strong arts culture.

"I really enjoyed the show and I'm impressed with the arts in Cape Girardeau," he said.

Of the five shows, Friday night's performance sold the most tickets with 644. Sunday's matinee performance drew 633 people. More than 2,550 people attended the five performances.

psullivan@semissourian.com

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