Star-Studded PAJAMA GAME Starts Tonight at 5th Avenue Theatre

This winter, The 5th Avenue Theatre will have Seattle adjusting its radiators with a steaming hot new production of the Richard Adler and Jerry Ross musical theater hit, The Pajama Game. With direction by 5th Avenue Theatre Producing Artistic Director Bill Berry, this sultry stunner features Bob Fosse-inspired choreography by Bob Richard and music direction by Joel Fram.

Billie Wildrick leads the cast as Katherine "Babe" Williams, the feisty union firebrand opposite Josh Davis (pictured, left) as the handsome new superintendant, Sid Sorokin. They are joined by Greg McCormick Allen, Kyle RoBert Carter, Taryn Darr, Sarah Rose Davis, Allen Galli, David Pichette, Shaunyce Omar and others.

The Pajama Game runs tonight, February 10, through March 5, 2017 (press night Thursday, February 16, 2017) at The 5th Avenue Theatre (1308 5th Avenue, Seattle). For single tickets (starting at $29) and information, visit www.5thavenue.org, call the Box Office at (206) 625-1900 or visit the Box Office at 1308 5th Avenue in downtown Seattle.

"The Pajama Game is a musical with a shockingly modern and contemporary sensibility," Berry said. "You have two passionate and spirited lovers that are equally matched and a group of workers fighting for a living wage. When Babe is faced with the hard choice between love and compromising her principles, she doesn't hesitate to make the hard choice. It would seem love, sex and politics are as hot as ever."

Things are getting steamy at the Sleep-Tite Pajama factory where handsome new superintendent Sid Sorokin is falling hard for Babe Williams, the feisty firebrand heading the union grievance committee. But sparks really fly when the workers go on strike for a 7½-cent pay raise, setting off not only a conflict between management and labor, but a battle of the sexes as well. The show that defined Fosse style with seductive dance numbers such as "Steam Heat" and "Hernando's Hideaway," this critically acclaimed musical won three Tony Awards including Best Choreography and Best Musical. The swinging score includes the timeless hits "Hey There" and "There Once Was a Man."

ABOUT THE CAST:

Josh Davis makes his 5th Avenue debut to star as Sid Sorokin. He performed in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical on Broadway, and Off-Broadway in White's Lies, My First Time (New World Stages). His regional work includes Les Misèrables (Pioneer Theatre and Flat Rock Playhouse); Guys and Dolls, Little Women (Engeman Theater) and Beauty and the Beast (Oklahoma Lyric). He has been seen in TV shows and films including Law & Order, The Beautiful Life, As the World Turns and The Graduates. Davis also has an extensive voice over career with clients that include Papa John's, Chase Sapphire, Milk, HULU, Vizio Smart Cast, 3M, Royal Canine and Shark Week.

Billie Wildrick returns to The 5th to star as Katherine "Babe" Williams. She has previously graced The 5th Avenue stage in Carousel, Guys and Dolls, Sunday in the Park with George, Pirates of Penzance, Candide, Wonderful Town, Into the Woods, Hair and Company. She performed on Broadway in Scandalous. Her work at ACT Theatre includes Vanities, First Date and Das Barbecü. She was seen at Village Theatre in Cabaret; Lizzie Borden; Hello, Dolly! and Man of La Mancha. Wildrick has also performed at the Ordway and Shakespeare Theatre Company. She enjoys a vibrant theatrical career in Seattle as both an actor and director and has received three Gregory Award nominations, a Gregory Award for Outstanding Actress and three Footlight Awards for her work.

David Pichette returns to The 5th as Mr. Hasler. His 5th Avenue credits include Pirates of Penzance (Major-General Stanley), 1776 (John Adams), My Fair Lady (Higgins), Candide (Pangloss/Voltaire), Wonderful Town (Apopolous), Oklahoma! (Ike Skidmore), Oliver! (Fagin) and most recently The Sound of Music (Max Detweiler). Other regional credits include Death of a Salesman (Willy Loman) at ArtsWest. For the last two summers he has been a company member at Utah Shakespeare Festival in productions of King Lear (Fool), Twelfth Night (Malvolio), King Henry IV Part Two (Justice Shallow), Taming of the Shrew (Gremio) and Into the Woods (Narrator/Mysterious Man).

Sarah Rose Davis and Greg McCormick Allen join the cast as Gladys and Hines. Davis was seen last season in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Rosemary Pilkington) and The Pajama Game marks her 22nd show at The 5th. Select credits include Lerner & Loewe's Paint Your Wagon (Lotta), A Chorus Line (Maggie), Grease (Frenchy), Rent (Mark's Mom), A Christmas Story The Musical (Mrs. Schwartz), Carousel, Jasper in Deadland (Hel) and many more! She starred as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl at Village Theatre. Allen was recently seen in Singin' in the Rain and Billy Elliot at Village Theatre. His favorite performances include White Christmas (Phil), Mary Poppins (Bert), Billy Elliot (Mr. Braithwaite) and Cinderella (Lionel, the Herald).

Tarryn Darr and Kyle RoBert Carter return to The 5th as Mae and Prez. Darr's favorite 5th Avenue credits include A Chorus Line (Val), White Christmas (Judy), Jasper in Deadland (Secretary Hathaway), Elf, Catch Me... and Spamalot. Her regional credits include Chicago (Roxie), South Pacific (Nellie), Legally Blonde (Brooke) and Something Rotten (NYC Lab).

Carter was recently seen at The 5th in Paint Your Wagon (Wesley), Grease (Teen Angel), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Ovington), Jasper in Deadland and toured the country with the cast of In the Heights (Benny). Carter's regional credits include In the Heights (Benny), Cubamor (Renato) and Sister Act (Eddie Souther). He was seen Off-Broadway in Storyville (Butch "Cobra" Brown).

Shaunyce Omar makes her 5th Avenue debut as Mabel. Her regional credits include Wedding Band, Crowns, My Heart is the Drum, Rejoice, Chicago, Hi Hat Hattie, The Wiz, Ain't Misbehavin' and the national tour of Menopause the Musical. Her TV/film credits include The Librarians and Last Seen in Idaho.

Allen Galli returns to The 5th as Pop. He has been seen in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Twimble/Wally Womper), Guys and Dolls (Rusty Charlie), White Christmas (Mike), West Side Story (Krupke), and Anything Goes! (Moonface). Other local credits include performances at Seattle Rep, SCT, ACT, Intiman, The Village and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Galli's regional credits include Arizona Theatre Company and Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. His TV credits include Grimm, Frasier and Twin Peaks.

Rounding out the ensemble are Eric Ankrim, Lauren Du Pree, Paul Flanagan, Davione Gordon, Alexandria Henderson, Emily Johnson, Ryan PatRick Kelly, Mckayla Marso, Trina Mills, Richard Peacock, Matthew Posner, Hannah Schuerman, Aaron Shanks, Jasmine Sim, Greg Stone, Katherine Strohmaier, Kevin Vortmann and Carolyn Willems Van Dijk.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM:

Some of director Bill Berry's favorite 5th Avenue credits include First Date (Broadway and co-production with ACT Theatre) and Little Shop of Horrors (co-production with ACT Theatre), which received the Seattle Times Footlight Award for Best Musical of 2014. Berry is the Producing Artistic Director of The 5th Avenue Theatre, where he has directed acclaimed productions of On the Town, West Side Story (Footlight Award), Wonderful Town (Footlight Award), Smokey Joe's Café, Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel and The Wizard of Oz. His re-imagined production of Cabaret received awards in St. Paul and Houston and has been performed at The 5th Avenue Theatre, the Ordway (St. Paul), American Musical Theatre of San Jose and Theatre Under the Stars (Houston).

Bob Richard joins The Pajama Game as Choreographer. He is returning to The 5th, having most recently choreographed How to Succeed in Business Without Trying. Richard's choreography was seen on Broadway in Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, as well as the national tour. He worked as co-director/choreographer in the Off-Broadway production of Inventing Mary Martin: The Revue of a Lifetime, which was nominated for the prestigious Callaway Award. Richard's National Tours as choreographer include the 50th Anniversary National Tour of Hello, Dolly! starring Sally Struthers; The 5th's tour of Cabaret; and Guys and Dolls. Other notable credits include: Madison Square Garden, North Shore Music Theatre, the Ordway, Theatre Under the Stars, The Pioneer Theatre and The Old Globe. Richard has been dancing, teaching master classes and choreographing worldwide, encompassing over 30 plus years in show business.

Music director Joel Fram has conducted the Broadway productions of Scandalous, Wicked, Sweet Smell of Success, The Music Man, James Joyce's The Dead, Jumpers and Cats. His London credits include Wicked, Forbidden Broadway and musical arrangements for the ballet Pictures from an Exhibition at the Young Vic and Sadler's Wells theatres. Fram worked on the Off-Broadway production of john & jen (cast album). His national tours and regional work includes Falsettos, Cats and A...My Name Is Alice (cast album). Fram has worked internationally as the Associate Music Supervisor for Wicked in Japan, Germany and Australia. Additionally, he created the award-winning New Voices concert series and co-produced the 12-hour marathon Wall to Wall Stephen Sondheim at New York's Symphony Space.

The creative team includes Carol Wolfe Clay (scenic design), Rose Pederson (costume design), Robert Aguilar (lighting design), Ken Travis (sound design), Mary Pyanowski Jones (hair and makeup design) and Bruce Monroe (new orchestrations).

Additional staff includes Eric Ankrim (associate director), Trina Mills (assistant choreographer), John Callahan (associate music director), Hattie Andres (assistant director) and Bob Franklin (assistant lighting designer), Siri Nelson (costume design assistant), Julia Welch (assistant scenic designer), Susan Pascal (copyist), Dave Pascal (keyboard programmer), Chelsea Greenwood (rehearsal pianist) and Ben Morrow (rehearsal drummer). The stage management staff includes Jeffrey K. Hanson (production stage manager), Jessica C Bomball and JR Welden (assistant stage managers) and Adrienne Mendoza and Shane Unger (production assistants).

The non-profit 5th Avenue Theatre is the nation's premier incubator for new musical theater. Since 2001, the Seattle-based company has produced 17 new musicals. To date, nine (including the sensational hit Disney's Aladdin) have moved on to Broadway premieres, earning a combined 15 Tony Awards, including two for Best Musical (Hairspray and Memphis). The 5th Avenue Theatre is also known for its world class, critically acclaimed productions of musicals chosen from both the contemporary canon and the Golden Age of Broadway.

Unique in its Chinese-inspired design, this exquisite theater opened in 1926 as a venue for vaudeville and film. Today, under the leadership of Executive Producer and Artistic Director David Armstrong, Managing Director Bernadine C. Griffin and Producing Artistic Director Bill Berry, this non-profit theater company attracts an annual attendance of more than 300,000, including over 20,000 subscribers-one of the largest theater subscriptions in North America.

In addition to its main stage productions, The 5th Avenue Theatre is also committed to encouraging the next generation of theatergoers through its extensive educational outreach programs. For more information about The 5th Avenue Theatre, its season and its programs, visit www.5thavenue.org.

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