THE PAJAMA GAME - Sunday, February 12th 2PM...

If I had to summarize the show in one word it would be...

Charmingly-Brilliant. The second the curtain comes up, a feeling comes over you that is hard to explain in words.

Every aspect of the show was uniformly brilliant and entertaining. The Orchestrations and Orchestra (at a mere 12 pieces) sounded amazing.

The set design is almost like Hairsprpay meets Sweet Charity meets Classic Broadway, very, very smart and exuberant, but not overdone at all. The costumes were eye-catching but not distracting, and it was clear that every single character had a reason for wearing what they were, something you don't always see.

The performances:

Kelli was simply astonishing. Fiesty, sexy, romantic, funny, and yes, charming in every way. Her singing voice has never been better, be it belting or utilizing her airy soprano range.

Supporting Cast: Michael McKean was cute and funny (as usual), Roz Ryan was hilarious and won over the audience with her sharp deliveries, winning smile and powerful and conterolled voice. Peter Benson was irrestibly nerdy yet charming at the same time. Joyce Chittick was simply sublime as Mae, and her dancing is flawless in "Steam Heat."

However, the MVP award goes to Megan Lawrence. Her performance is the real standout in the show, her facial expressions alone are priceless, and her "Hernando's Hideaway" was simply brilliant. The whole number was really a lesson in perfection on the stage, magically weaving together the sets, costumes, lighting, choreography, music and performances.

Now, Harry Connick. He was very, very good. He started off a little shaky today, but at the end of "A New Town is a Blue Town" he had already won the audience over. His voice is not Broadway per se, to mean that it truly comes from another era, which I felt was his best vocal quality. He was mature, but not too much so, and his chemistry with Kelli was unforgettable.

But the most important thing I felt was that the whole 23 member cast was having the time of their lives, and it really showed.

GO SEE IT, you won't regret it.

I really enjoyed the show. I saw the Wednesday evening, February 8th show.

I had very low expectations, because I have only seen the show, once, and it was a poorly presented college production, and because I haven't been that thrilled with the Roundabout shows, the past two seasons.

I thought it was great. I was overwhelmed. I laughed hard, as did most members of the audience, even those who would swear they didn't. Theater snobs can like this show, too.

I thought the sets were tastefully done, well integrated into the plot.

I thought the choreography was fantastic.

I really enjoyed the writing, which I expected to be very dull and dated. I am not sure how much has been rewritten (there is a credit for rewrites). It was so nice to see a show with two acts, multiple story lines ... and a plot! (I saw Woman in White in the afternoon, and it had a lot of plot, that's for sure, but not much else - I mean, just kill the ghost and be done with it!).

Kelli O'Hara is such a natural. I was only disappointed because I don't feel she gets a showstopper of the magnitude of the other two actresses (ie., Canned Heat and Humphrey's Hideaway).

I was pleasantly surprised with Michael McKean. I told him after the show that I thought it was a role made for him, which might have come off as a put-down, seeing as it's not the biggest role nor one to make a career, but he does very well.

I really liked Harry Connick, Jr. I felt he was two to five years' too old for the role, which is probably something no one else would even think of. He did seem a bit stiff, but after the first five minutes I forgot he was a TV movie actor and felt comfortable with him. His Henry's Hideaway performance is very special - a definitive Broadway moment, something you go to Broadway in hopes you'll see.

I felt no shame in giving the cast (and orchestra) a standing ovation. The show is an integrate work of art, and they deserve praise.

Hey, Jersey...

What changes are they making that you heard about? I've been out of the loop for a while.

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Steam Heat is now performed by Mae, played by Joyce Chittick, instead of Gladys (the Carol Haney role). They use the number as part of the arc of her character (from nerdy to sexy), and it works, but the number as a whole felt a little flat to me. I missed the Fosse!

And I liked the new songs, particularly If You Win You Lose--Kelli hits that one out of the park.

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Updated On: 2/13/06 at 10:22 AM

I thought Steam Heat was overdone. However, Hernandos Hideaway was pure genius, despite the craizeness from the audience the night I went. I suspect Kathleen is really making changes. I saw her writing down allot of notes during the preiview on 1/28.

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