7½ Cents Didn’t Buy a Heck of a Lot in 1953, But Do the Math…

This entertaining musical comedy, The Pajama Game, is based on the 1953 novel 7½ Cents by Richard Bissell.  Bissell was also one librettist for the original Broadway adaptation which features a score by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross.

The Pajama Game continues its run at Clyde Porter’s West Valley Playhouse until Aug. 28.

The story takes place at the Sleep-Tite pajama factory where trouble is brewing among the workers. Because they have been forced to produce more pajamas at breakneck speed, the workers are demanding an hourly raise of 7½ cents.  Doing the math, they calculate that they would be living like kings with an extra $156 a year [$1,280.76 in today’s money].  Their grievance, however, is ignored by the bosses and the union is considering the possibility of a workers’ strike.  Against this background forms a budding romance between two very unlikely lovers: the new factory superintendent, Sid, and Babe, the head of the grievance committee.

The Pajama Game opened on Broadway in 1954 and won a Tony Award for Best Musical.  In 2006 it won another Tony Award, this time for Best Revival of a musical.  Two big hit songs from the show are Hey, There and Hernando’s Hideaway.  The musical remains a popular choice for community theater productions in general and in particular for Woodland Hills Community Theatre.

This theater was the dream of professional actor Jon Berry.  In 1986 he got permission from the rector of his church, the Prince of  Peace Episcopal Church, to perform a one-act George Bernard Shaw play, Village Wooing. Jon and another professional friend performed for two sold out weekends at the church hall. This production was followed by another George Bernard Shaw production, Overruled. Once again the play was sold out. All profits taken in were donated to the West Valley Food Pantry, a local food bank serving the West San Fernando Valley and located at his church.

Jon noticed that several church members had previous theatrical experience and although they were not professional actors they were quite good. He researched how to start a community theater and asked some of his legal friends how to incorporate as non-profit. In 1989, Woodland Hills Community Theatre, Inc. was born.

Inaugurated in 2000, The Clyde Porter’s West Valley Playhouse became the home of his theater. The playhouse is named after Clyde Porter, a philanthropist who supported cultural activities in the San Fernando Valley.

This state-of-the-art playhouse provides an intimate theatrical atmosphere.  It has become one of the most respected small theaters, not only in the West San Fernando Valley, but in the entire Los Angeles area.

The Pajama Game continues its run at the West Valley Playhouse until Aug. 28.  It is located at 7242 Owensmouth Avenue in Canoga Park. For showtimes and tickets call their box office at 818-994-1907 or visit their website wvplayhouse.com.