'The Pajama Game' playing Mann Hall this week

The Tony Award-winning Best Musical Revival of 2006, "The Pajama Game," runs through Saturday, April 11, at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall. Hot on the heels of the recent Broadway smash hit, this nationally touring musical has audiences laughing in the aisles.

Bright and riotously funny, this fastpaced, frisky tale received two Tony Awards for the 2006 production, including Best Revival of a Musical and Best Choreography. This must-see musical has also received seven Drama Desk Award nominations, as well as eight Outer Critics Circle Award nominations. The original 1954 production of "The Pajama Game" was the winner of three 1955 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Choreography and Featured Actress in a Musical.

Based on Richard Bissell's novel, "7 1/2 Cents," "The Pajama Game" tells the story of Babe, a feisty employee representative who finds her match in the pajama shop superintendent, Sid. Overflowing with pajamas, love, singing and conflicts between the labor union and the management, the real story is the 7 ½ cents-per-hour raise the pajama factory workers are demanding to keep their salaries comparable with other garment-workers pay.

Sid pushes both himself and the workers hard in order to prove himself to the owner, but a visit by the union grievances committee in the form of lovely-but-tough Babe brings out his soft, romantic side. Despite their love, Babe warns Sid that the turmoil between the union and the management

will cause problems for them too, and Sid has to juggle his job, his heart and his conscience to find a solution that will solve everything. In 1957 Warner Bros. released a film version starring John Raitt, Doris Day, Eddie Foy Jr. and Carol Haney. "The Pajama Game" was revived on Broadway in 1973 with Hal Linden, Barbara McNair, and Cab Calloway as Hines. The musical was revived again in 2006 starring Harry Connick Jr. and Kelli O'Hara which took Broadway by storm with a sold out, smash hit run, earning two Tony Award wins and nine nominations. Tickets are available at the box office, by calling 481-4849 or online at www. bbmannpah.com.

if you go

>> "The Pajama Game" >> When: Through April 11 >> Where: The Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, 8099 College Parkway, Fort Myers >> Cost: $12.50-$60 >> Information: 481-4849 or www.bbmannpah.com.