In the second act of Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of The Pajama Game, the 1954 favorite of community and high school theatres, director-choreographer Kathleen Marshall sends the audience into musical-comedy heaven. With "Hernando's Hideaway," all the elements that make up a memorable number coalesce perfectly: Harry Connick, Jr.'s spicy, New Orleans-style piano plunking and romantic crooning, Megan Lawrence's daffy clowning as the ditzy secretary Gladys, Marshall's clever staging, Derek McLane's comic-strip sets, Martin Pakledinaz's colorful costumes, Peter Kaczorowski's smoky lighting, and the personalities of a varied and well-cast chorus (kudos to casting director Jim Carnahan). They all come together and, like great sex, build to a smashing climax.
The rest of the show never quite reaches this zenith, and that's not Marshall's fault. Like mismatched pajamas, this remnant of a bygone era has brilliant individual pieces, but they don't work together to create a satisfying whole. George Abbott and Richard Bissell's book, with a few tweaks by Peter Ackerman, is as standard-issue as the garments assembled in the sleepwear factory of the show's setting. Like dozens of other tuners from the 1940s to the '60s, the pattern is familiar -- romantic leads overcoming an obstacle, a secondary pair providing yucks, a dance specialty number having little to do with the world of the show. The catchy score by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross is what keeps The Pajama Game in the list of top musicals. "Hey There," "Steam Heat," "Once-a-Year Day!," and the rest remain evergreen but still aren't fully integrated into the story. Marshall does her best to stitch together the show's clashing parts and she succeeds in presenting them well, but she can't hide the seams.
Her cast is equally mixed. Connick possesses the necessary pipes, pecs, and charisma to make an effective leading man. But he lacks the acting skills to put across the core of Sid, the determined superintendent. I was always aware it was Harry Connick. Kelli O'Hara proved her performing chops with difficult roles in Sweet Smell of Success and The Light in the Piazza. Here she demonstrates her considerable skills with the less-complicated Babe, a strong woman who only takes a couple of songs to figure out what she wants -- a strong union and a union with Sid. Michael McKean underplays Hines, the comically jealous time-study man. It works in the easy vaudeville turn "I Would Trust Her," but he fails to establish Hines' fanatical devotion to the clock or his love, Gladys. As noted, Lawrence as Gladys stands out in the "Hideaway" number. Roz Ryan, Peter Benson, and Joyce Chittick also provide sparkle.
Final runway judgment: The Pajama Game has outstanding individual parts, but it's not ready to wear in today's market.
Presented by Roundabout Theatre Company by special arrangement with Jeffrey Richards, James Fuld, Jr., and Scott Landis at the American Airlines Theatre, 227 W. 42nd St., NYC. Feb. 23-June 11. Wed.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Wed. and Sat., 2 p.m.; Sun., 2 and 7:30 p.m. (212) 719-1300 or www.roundabouttheatre.org. Casting by Jim Carnahan, CSA.