The Pajama Game to open Friday at Conway Dinner Theater

Among the principal players at the Sleep-Tite Pajama Factory are, from left, Hines, the factory timekeeper, played by Max Churchwell; Gladys, executive secretary to Mr. Hasler, played by Kathy Busch; Mr. Hasler, head of the pajama factory, played by Kevin Oliver; Babe Williams, leader of the union grievance committee, played by Sonya Williams; and Sid Sorokin, the factory superintendent, played by Tim Pickard.
Among the principal players at the Sleep-Tite Pajama Factory are, from left, Hines, the factory timekeeper, played by Max Churchwell; Gladys, executive secretary to Mr. Hasler, played by Kathy Busch; Mr. Hasler, head of the pajama factory, played by Kevin Oliver; Babe Williams, leader of the union grievance committee, played by Sonya Williams; and Sid Sorokin, the factory superintendent, played by Tim Pickard.

CONWAY — Theater patrons are invited to an inside look at the Sleep-Tite Pajama Factory in the Conway Dinner Theater’s upcoming production of The Pajama Game.

“It’s set in the mid-1950s and is all about a struggle between laborers and management,” said Kimberly Norris of Greenbrier, director of the local production.

Norris is a longtime supporter of the Conway Dinner Theater and the Conway Women’s Chorus, both of which are sponsored by the Faulkner Academy of Arts. She has appeared in several CDT productions and made her directorial debut in 2014 with Arsenic and Old Lace.

“It seems management does not want to give the workers a 7 1/2-cent raise,” Norris said as she discussed the plot of The Pajama Game. “Of course, there is a love interest as well; it’s between Sid, the new superintendent at the factory, and Babe Williams, leader of the union grievance committee. Sparks will fly.”

The three-weekend run of The Pajama Game will open Friday at the Conway Dinner Theater, 2201 Washington St. Performances will continue Saturday and again July 30 and 31 and Aug. 5 and 6.

Show-only tickets for 7 p.m. Friday and Aug. 5 are $15 for adults and $6 for children 10 and younger.

Dinner-and-show tickets for Saturday and July 30 and Aug. 6 are $28 for adults and $12 for children; dinner is served at 6:15 p.m., followed by the show at 7. The dinner menu includes ginger roasted pork roulade, garlic mashed potatoes, sauteed zucchini and squash, and cinnamon crumble cake for dessert.

Sweet Show tickets for July 31 are $20 for adults and $8 for children; dessert will be served at 2 p.m.

Tickets may be purchased online at faulkneracademyofarts.org or by calling (501) 339-7401.

The Pajama Game is based on the novel 7 1/2 Cents, by Richard Bissell. The book is by George Abbott and Richard Bissell; music and lyrics are by Richard Alder and Jerry Ross.

The Broadway production received the 1955 Tony for Best Musical, and in 2006, the production was awarded Best Revival of a Musical. There was a film version of the musical as well, released in 1957, starring Doris Day as Babe and John Raitt as Sid.

Joan Hanna, director of the Faulkner Academy of Arts, is the musical director for The Pajama Game. She said well-known songs from the musical include “Hey There,” “Hernando’s Hideaway” and “I’ll Never Be Jealous Again.”

Local actors appearing as principal characters in The Pajama Game are as follows:

• Sonya Williams of Conway plays Babe Williams, leader of the union grievance committee, who falls in love with Sid.

Although Williams may be new to the Conway Dinner Theater, she is not new to the stage — she is a director of the Miss Conway Pageant and has been involved in other pageants and cheerleading and dance programs for several years.

“I am a full-time mom to three teens,” she said. Williams said she had been through some difficult times recently and needed to get back to the stage … “back to my roots,” she said. “This feels like home. This show is full of laughs. … I needed that.”

• Tim Pickard of Conway portrays Sid Sorokin, the handsome new factory superintendent who falls in love with Babe.

Pickard, who is a software developer for the Arkansas Farm Bureau, is new to the Conway Dinner Theater stage.

“I did some plays in high school in Blanchard, Oklahoma, and at Central Baptist College when Joan [Hanna] was there,” he said. “I did The Music Man with Joan.

“My daughter is in the band at Greenbrier, so I also know Kimberly [Norris],” he said. “She recruited me for the Conway Dinner Theater. I am glad to get back into theater.”

• Max Churchwell of Greenbrier appears as Hines, the factory timekeeper who thinks Gladys flirts too much, and he is always jealous of her attention to other men.

Churchwell is a graduate of Greenbrier High School, where he was involved in drama-class productions and band. He is studying theater and creative writing at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway.

Churchwell said he knew Norris and her family and was familiar with the Conway Dinner Theater, so he decided to audition for a part in the upcoming musical.

• Kathy Busch of Russellville portrays Gladys, Mr. Hasler’s secretary, who dates Hines and is chased by Prez.

Busch is another new face at the Conway Dinner Theater. She is a recent graduate of

Russellville High School, where she appeared in its spring production, Xanadu.

She plans to attend Missouri State University in Springfield in the fall and major in musical theater.

“I learned about this play through social media … Facebook,” she said. “I auditioned and got the part of Gladys.

“I do a lot of singing and dancing. I saw The Pajama Game a long time ago but really didn’t know much about it.”

• Tim Foshee appears as Prez, the head of the union and a woman-chaser.

“I am proud to bring to life this character of Prez,” Foshee said.

This is Foshee’s acting debut with the Conway Dinner Theater. He appeared with his daughter in a duet when the Conway Women’s Chorus presented Gershwin — Take 2 in April.

Foshee sang in the choir during junior high and high school. He majored in music education at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville before he joined the Navy. He now works at Acxiom Corp.

Others appearing in the upcoming musical include the following:

• Kevin Oliver plays the part of Mr. Hasler, the strict head of the pajama factory.

Oliver is making his debut with the Conway Dinner Theater. He is a junior at UCA, where he is majoring in criminal justice. He is originally from Texarkana, where he attended Texarkana Community College and studied theater.

“I’d like to be an actor,” he said. “I called around looking for community theater groups and found the Conway Dinner Theater. They accepted me, and here I am. I am happy to be in this show. This is my first serious role; everything I do is important to me, especially learning all my lines.”

• Kay Loudon of Greenbrier plays Mae, a member of the grievance committee who accepts Prez’s advances. Loudon is also new to the Conway Dinner Theater. She attends Greenbrier High School and has done some ensemble theater work there and sings in the school’s choir.

• Karen Graham of Conway plays Mabel, the “mother hen” of the factory and Sid’s secretary. Graham has appeared in other CDT productions, including Seussical, the Musical.

The following local actors appear as factory workers in the play:

• Kendra Thomas of Conway plays Brenda, a member of the grievance committee.

• Matthew Norris of Greenbrier plays Joe, Prez’s right-hand man

• Kelli King of Conway plays two characters — Pat and Carmen.

• John Nelson of Morrilton appears as Charlie, a factory worker and a handyman, and Max, a salesman.

• Kayla Pointer of Greenbrier plays two characters — Sara and Mary.

• Anita Bayless of Conway appears as Sandra and Rita.

• Lisa Bouabedi of Greenbrier plays Virginia and Ann.

• Gayla Pickard of Greenbrier appears as Mara and Charlene.

• Cole Pickard of Greenbrier plays a waiter, as well as Anderson, a factory worker.

Other characters in the

musical include Pop, Babe’s father, who is played by Jerry Boyer of Wooster.

Choreography for The Pajama Game is by Olivia Stephens of Conway, a dance instructor with the Central Arkansas Ballet in Conway. Light and sound are by Keith Jones of Conway.

Upcoming Events