hernando's hideaway

It was a Sunday. I put on my duck boots, said a quick prayer, heade out into the 27 inches of snow from the blizzard, and make my way to Times Square to see "The Pajama Game". Yes friends, the show must go on. The trek within itself is worth discussion. For instance, I imagine you giggling picturing me bundled up in my knee-length down coat, kamikaziing across the four foot drifts/piles on the corner. It was a giggle.
Anyway, I digress. The show. I wanted to love this show. I wanted to adore this show. I really liked this show. First things being first, this show is worth seeing for one reason: the second act show stopper "Hernando's Hideaway". (SPOILER ALERT!) In this scene, Harry Connick, Jr. sits down at a piano and totally rocks out for like five minutes. I sat there rapt, barely breathing...it was phenomenal. That made it worth the ticket price alone.
However, there are other issues to address. This show has not aged well. It was a cute show in the 50's, and now it is a cute show that makes you laugh with the silliness, and cringe at the quite outdated notions. The first act really needs to be tightened up. The second act much outshines it.
Megan Lawrence playing Gladys stole the show. Her sequences with Harry Connick, Jr. are a riot, and her physical comedy is fabulous. Kelli O'Hara does a good job with a not great part. My only caveat is that she was cracking all over the place. She has a beautiful voice, and she is trying so hard to style it here, and is sometimes missing. I was, in fact, a little disappointed. To hear brilliance, make sure to listen to "The Light in the Piazza". She is stunning. Harry Connick, Jr. does a good job. He had a bit of a slow start, but by the end I was invested. Again, I stand by what he does (plays on the piano) in "Hernando's Hideaway" as the high point of the show.
If you get a chance to check it out, and money is not a big deal, I say go and enjoy. There are a lot of fun moments. However, if you want to see a great show set in the 50's, cut your losses and go see "The Light in the Piazza" instead.

*Thoughts about the dancing: Anytime I go to a Broadway show and feel like I could be up there doing the routine, I kind of wonder. Although "Steam Heat" is interesting, I could have been up there paddle-turning with the best of them!

photo credit: www.playbill.com