Opening Night of "The Pajama Game" at Hen Hud

MONTROSE, N.Y. – The week before Hendrick Hudson High School’s musical is staged is known as “hell week” to students, teachers and administrators.

The students practice relentlessly, trying to perfect the timing of cast members, orchestra, sound and lighting together for the first time before opening night Friday evening.

Students are staging “The Pajama Game” this weekend. The sassy musical centers on a group of female pajama factory workers uniting for a seven-and-a-half cent raise. The Sleep Tite factory begins to swirl with rumors of romance between employee representative Babe Williams and her management counterpart Sid Sorokin, but the relationship heads south when calls for the raise grow louder.

“This is the first time we’re doing all the technical pieces,” said co-director Suzanne Schneider. She, chorus teacher Erica Denler, and artistic director Paula Correale piece the show together with scrap wood and leftover costumes. Tickets are $15.50 for adults and $10.50 for students and seniors, with every penny going back into the program, as do the proceeds from candy and T-shirt sales, which go directly into next year’s play.

“Today’s going to be an intense day,” Schneider said Tuesday. The cast took a dinner break and did a complete second dress rehearsal, anticipating after-school activities would be cancelled because of Wednesday afternoon’s weather forecast. Their prediction turned out to be correct.

Students will perform a 20-minute teaser version of the play at all five schools in the district. Friday and Saturday’s shows begin at 8 p.m., Sunday’s matinee starts at 3 p.m.

Tickets are available at the door or online.

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