The Cast Photo by Hisa Naito

A list of subversive musicals would never be complete without The Pajama Game (music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, book by George Abbott and Richard Bissell), which opened this past weekend in an entertaining production from the non-profit community theatre company, Coastal Repertory Theatre, based in Half Moon Bay.

What makes The Pajama Game subversive–especially today, with an autocrat at the helm of the country–is how it celebrates the power of the people over an authoritarian who denies a long-overdue raise in pay, and who ultimately turns out to be even shadier than his blowhard bossiness would indicate.

The Pajama Game is set in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 1954, at the Sleep-Tite Pajama Factory, owned by the dictatorial Myron Hasler (played with appropriate bluster by Louis Schilling). The workers–who are mostly women–spend their days sewing PJs under the watchful eye of time-study man Vernon Hines (Alfredo Mendoza), who has his stopwatch ever at the ready, regularly reminding the "girls" that tempus is fugeting, especially in the opening number, "Racing with the Clock."

Enter Sid Sorokin (Danny Martin), the new superintendent of the factory, who is ogled by the seamstresses, especially Babe Williams (Maddie Rea), although she denies any attraction to Sid in the adorable "I'm Not at All in Love." Babe is also a leader of the union's grievance committee, meaning she and Sid will naturally come into conflict. But, this being musical theatre, their butting of heads will soon turn into the meeting of lips.

Despite their conflict quickly turning to connection, the primary story arc focuses on the battle between management and workers, as the union threatens to strike unless they get the seven-and-a-half cent per hour raise they've been seeking for months. Just as workers protesting unfair conditions in the 19th century sometimes threw their wooden shoes, or sabots, into the machinery (giving us the word "saboteur"), the Sleep-Tite workers stage a work slowdown and sabotage the goods by mislabeling goods and sewing on buttons in a way that guarantees future failure.

With "old man Hasler" barking orders and the union making ever louder threats, Sid is caught in the middle. When Babe becomes the leading saboteur at Sleep-Tite, Sid is forced to fire her. But this only strengthens the resolve of the union members, led by Prez (Austin Pierce), who stage an inspirational dance number, "Steam Heat," exhorting the union to "get hot!"

With a large cast and clever direction (by Barbara Williams), this Pajama Game moves at a snappy pace, going from one great song to another. But throughout, the subversive nature of the show is always there. Prez is a womanizer who chases after more than one female employee, despite his status as a married man, complaining about his wife in the song "Her Is." Suspicious that something is up with the bookkeeping, Sid wheedles the key to the locked ledger book out of Hasler's secretary (and keeper of the ledger), Gladys (Erica Racz), by taking her out to the local nightclub, Hernando's Hideaway. Director Williams' staging of the song of the same name is terrific, with a mostly darkened stage cut through by the flashlights each cast member carries. Plying Gladys with drink, Sid obtains the key and examines the books–which leads him to the show's denouement in the upbeat finale number, "Seven-and-a-Half Cents."

Even though the book is a little thin, the terrific songs more than make up for any plot holes, and the cast is remarkably skilled (with a few exceptions) for a non-profit community theatre company. As Babe, Maddie Rea is clearly the star of the show. If a soprano (or mezzo-soprano) can be said to have a brassy voice, that's what Rea brings to the numbers. Her clear, bright belts are delightfully in synch with Adler and Ross's sprightly tunes. Every time she sings, she lifts the production just a little bit higher.

There are some standouts in the supporting cast, as well. As Mabel, Sid's secretary, Deborah Joves is a constant delight, with an easy comic physicality and subtly hysterical expressions. When she talks about something she read in Confidential magazine about "teen sex orgies," her "isn't that terrible?" comes across with a delightful soupçon of secret glee. Austin Pierce's Prez is a lothario, but the women in the office seem to have his number, and Pierce does a marvelous job of seeming debonair and dangerous while simultaneously striking out.

Sadly, the weakest part of the production is Danny Martin's portrayal of superintendent Sid Sorokin. His acting is fine, well in balance with most of the cast, but his singing was often wildly off-pitch at the performance I attended. The casting of Martin seems odd, given that no one else in the cast seemed to have anywhere near the problems with flatting notes that he did.

Despite that, the clever staging and appropriate lighting, combined with the joy of the cast in performing such a beloved classic, more than make up for any minor misgivings. For Peninsula residents, this lovingly produced presentation of The Pajama Game is well worth a jaunt to Half Moon Bay.

The Pajama Game runs through August 17, 2025, at Coastal Repertory Theatre, 1167 Main Street, Half Moon Bay CA. For tickets and information, please visit www.coastalrep.com.