Chichester Night Cap

[Phantom of London]

Hadley Fraser and Joanna Riding (both pictured left), who are in final negotiations to star in Richard Eyre’s production of the Fifties American musical The Pajama Game, which will begin previewing in April in the Chichester Festival Theatre’s Minerva space. The show, set during a wage dispute at a pyjama factory, features songs such as Steam Heat and Hernando’s Hideaway.
I caught a version a few years ago with Harry Connick Jr and Kelli O’Hara and I was grateful the dull old book by George Abbott and Richard Bissell (who wrote the tome upon which the show is based) had been livened up by Peter Ackerman. Mr Fraser recently completed a run playing Inspector Javert in Les Miserables (he has a small role in Tom Hooper’s film version). In Pajama Game he will play Sid, the factory’s new supervisor who falls for Babe (Riding), who runs the firm’s union grievance committee.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2216469/BAZ-BAMIGBOYE-Full-metal-packet-The-Full-Monty-The-Play.html#ixzz292FDvHYv
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[ClapYo'Hands]

I didn't like Hadley in Les Misérables but thought he was good in The Phantom of the Opera. And Joanna Riding is...well, Joanna Riding!

I didn't realise Richard Eyre was directing...his first musical since Betty Blue Eyes? Looking forward to this one (as it's also in talks for a West End transfer)!

[mallardo]

The role of Babe certainly doesn't call for an ingenue but, even so, isn't Ms Riding a bit old for the part?

[bob8rich]

Love The Pajama Game! It's great fun and the score is terrific. I saw Katherine Mashall's production on Broadway with Harry Connick and the amazing Kelli O'Hara and it was superb.

Hope it manages to transfer from Chichester as it's a pain of a place to get to from where I live lol.

Really excited about seeing Hadley in it - for my money he's the best musical theatre leading man in the UK.I've been a big fan of his ever since seeing him in The Far Pavilions years ago. Loved him as Raoul (in a show I don't much care for); he was utterly charming and a vocal delight in The Fantasticks; he gave a really powerful performance in The Pirate Queen (his "I'll Be There" blows me away). And he was phenomenal as Javert. (And he's also one of the nicest guys in the business.) I think he'll be wonderful as Sid Sorokin. But this news seems to kill the rumours that he was going into ONCE - and he would be really fantastic as "Guy" in that show!