- ONLY American expertise could have
created such a musical as this; a story about a Trade
Union dispute set against a background of factory
machines, played by factory hands, office workers and
shop stewards. Yet it is one of the happiest, most
romantic and richly comical musicals ever to be imported
and packed with hit tunes.
-
- The Leading Man has baritone songs
such as HEY
THERE and
A NEW TOWN IS
BLUE TOWN. The modern-mezzo
leading lady has
I'M NOT AT ALL
IN LOVE, while together they
sing SMALL
TALK and
THERE ONCE WAS
A MAN.
-
- The young dancer-singer, Elizabeth
Seal, made her name in the smaller part of Gladys, and
stopped the show with
STEAM
HEAT and
HERNANDO'S
HIDEAWAY. The comedy part of
Hines has THINK
OF THE TIME I SAVE and
I WOULD TRUST
HER (I'LL NEVER BE JEALOUS
AGAIN). There is exciting chorus work in the ensembles
RACING WITH THE
CLOCK;
SEVEN AND A
HALF CENTS and the
rousing ONCE A
YEAR DAY. All of the music has
great appeal to young audiences.
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THE STORY (The
Present)
A strike is imminent at the Sleep-Tite
Pajama Factory. The Union is seeking a wage rise of seven
and a half cents an hour. Sid and Babe are in opposite camps
yet a romance is born between them. At first Babe rejects
him and Sid is forced to confide his feelings to a
dictaphone. During the picnic for the factory workers he
makes better progress but their estrangement is reinforced
when they return to the factory. A go-slow is staged by the
Union, strongly supported by Babe. Sid, as factory
superintendent, demands an 'honest day's work' and threatens
to fire slackers. Babe is enraged by his attitude and kicks
her foot into the machinery, causes a general breakdown and
is immediately fired by Sid.
Hines, the popular efficiency expert, is
in love with Gladys the President's secretary. Periodically,
he brings a more optimistic outlook to the life of the
factory. Becoming convinced that Babe's championship of the
Union is justified, Sid simulates an interest in Gladys by
taking her out for the evening to the night club, Hernando's
Hideaway. Through her help he is eventually able to gain
access to the firm's books and discovers that the boss has
been adding to his price the pay increase demanded by the
workers. Sid then brings about his boss, Hasler's, consent
to a pay rise and is able to bring peace to the factory and
to his love life. Everyone goes out to celebrate - at
Hernando's Hideaway.
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