Search - Harry Connick Jr., Kelli O'Hara :: Harry On Broadway Act 1

7&1/2 CENTS...WORTH A MILLION

Robert F. Powers | Quincy, Ma USA | 05/13/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The new Broadway Cast album of "The Pajama Game" is a sunny and bouncy rendition of the old 1954 show. Kelli O'Hara sinks her teeth into the role of Babe Williams and she is delightfully infectious. Harry Connick Jr's vocals are fine but his styling is a tad too sophisticated for his role as a superintendant of a Mid-Western pajama factory. Having said that his rendition of the big song "Hey There" is sublime. And his duets with Miss O'Hara are so perfectly blended you would swear they have been singing together forever.



Some numbers notably "Steam Heat" have been arranged differently so not to invite comparisons with the original dance music used for the unsurpassable choreography devised by Bob Fosse in the original 1954 production.



This cast album has all the musical numbers from the show and a few that were cut from the original production. Enjoy!



"

Outstanding

M. Donelson | Ann Arbor, MI United States | 05/19/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I saw this revival of The Pajama Game on Broadway and was hoping the CD would capture at least some of infectiousness of the live performance. Though no CD is as good as its live performance, this recording is outstanding! I completely disagree with those who have been critical of Harry Connick's vocal performance here -- he is fabulous on ballads and up-tempo songs, and emotes appropriately (i.e. noticeably) for each. I mean, he's not exactly an amateur at interpreting lyrics convincingly. I can't imagine anyone more well suited for this role. And Kelli O'Hara's voice is like "buttuh!" This version of The Pajama Game is a real treat - I recommended it over the film soundtrack, if you're looking just for the show. And if you're a Harry Connick Jr. fan, it's a must."

A fun cast album with a little bonus

Lostgirl | 08/10/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I think Harry Connick Jr. attracted most people to this show and this CD. I was one of the few who bought it for Kelli O'Hara. I first became a fan of O'Hara's silverly soprano on the Light in the Piazza OBC, and the OOBC of My Life With Albertine. In The Pajama Game she takes on a new kind of role- a belty Babe Williams. I was never particularly attracted to the Pajama Game as a musical but I wanted to see what O'Hara did with it.



What she does is show off her versitility as a performer, departing from ingenue roles and playing the brassy Babe for all she's worth. O'Hara never breaks character and brings an energy to songs like "I'm not at all in love", "7 and 1/2 cents" and "There once was a man" that is rarely heard on a studio cast recrding. The same cannot be said for Harry Connick Jr. Not that he isn't good- he is. But there were times when I felt that I wasn't listening to Syd Sorkin so much as Harry Connick Jr- especially in "Hey there".



The supporting cast is paricularly strong and enjoyable. Even though songs like "Her Is" are rather dated, that's part of their charm.



As for the oh so controversial packaging. Basically there is a sleeve with a picture of Connick on it. Remove the sleve and you have a Pajama Game CD with the artwork. Connick writes and into in the booklet. I had absolutely no objection to that and when I got the CD I tossed the sleeve. As for the bonus disc, I enjoyed it. Harry Connick Jr. performs songs from his Broadway flop "Thou Shalt Not" with Kelli O'Hara. It's not a cast recording. It's a series on solos and duets- more background music than the Pajama Game, but it's more or less free. The Pajama Game would have the same price without this disc so I don't see why people object to this so vehemently. Yes, it's a marketing ploy, but so is just about anything you buy."