Theatre Review: The Pajama Game

I went to see The Pajama Game at the American Airlines Theatre on Saturday with a friend, Carlos, from Roundabout. I was excited to see the show since I've never seen it before, but I was a bit hesitant to get too excited. I'd heard that the script was very dated, and it was the first weekend, so I knew there could still be some problems. Well, I won't leave you in suspense, I loved it! This production reminded me of the revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, it's very colorful and energetic. As for the script being dated, it was, of course, but that didn't bother me at all. The set was beautiful-the main set being a larger than life pajama factory, with smaller scenes pieces being brought into the center for other scenes. Again, everything was very colorful, there wasn't much effort for realism. The costumes were much the same.
The ensemble was really great. It was quite small for a musical, but the AA isn't that big so it worked great. Now. Harry. I love him, he's a great singer, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching him in this show. That being said, the poor boy can't really act. Luckily, when he was alone on stage, you could just close your eyes and listen, and when Kelli was onstage with him, she helped him a lot. Kathleen Marshall had obviously choreographed around him, but he was still pretty nervous about the dancing. Luckily, I think we all found that endearing, and he'll certainly get more comfortable as they go along. And Kelli. She was wonderful. I had only seen her in The Light in the Piazza, in which she was lovely, but I thought, can she really be spunky? The answer is yes, she can. She was riveting. When it was her and Harry onstage, I was watching her, no contest. I am now a full fledged, die hard, Kelli O'Hara fan.
The best number for me was Hernando's Hideway (which I was actually not looking forward to). I thought the whole thing was beautifully choreographed, and Kathleen had put in a piano solo for Harry which was great (and the only time he looked completely comfortable)
The only thing else I can say is that I desperately hope that Roundabout will be smart enough to make a cast recording of this production. I will buy it the first day.
If you have the opportunity to see this production, jump on it! Not only is the show lots of fun, but I was told by a reliable source (the souvenir vendor) that they will soon be selling pajamas in the lobby. I only wish I could go see it again with you.