Don Gingold / Wednesday, October 19, 2022 / Categories: Past Shows

The Pajama Game

Weekends June 16-25, 2023, Naperville Central HS Auditorium

Event date: 6/16/2023 7:30 PM - 6/25/2023 3:00 PM Export event

Book by George Abbott and Richard Bissell
Music and Lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross

Based on the novel "71/2 cents" by Richard Bissell

The Pajama Game was awarded the 1955 Tony for Best Musical and, over half of a century later, claimed the award for Best Revival of a Musical, proving that the story is truly timeless. With an energetic score by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross (Damn Yankees), The Pajama Game is brimming with songs and dances that have become musical theatre standards, including "Steam Heat" and "Hernando's Hideaway."

Conditions at the Sleep-Tite Pajama Factory are anything but peaceful as sparks fly between new superintendent, Sid Sorokin, and Babe Williams, leader of the union grievance committee. Their stormy relationship comes to a head when the workers strike for a 7 ½ cent pay increase, setting off not only a conflict between management and labor, but a battle of the sexes as well.

Featuring plenty of fun and splashy production numbersThe Pajama Game is filled with standout featured roles and a large ensemble, making it perfect for our community. This perennial favorite is a surefire crowd-pleaser and a glowing example of solid, classic musical comedy.

The Cast

Sid Sorokin...Jason Peck
Babe Williams...Christina Peck
Hines...Bob Bullen
Gladys...Taylor Weisz
Mabel...Paige Coe
Prez...Jeff Harding
Mr. Hasler...Steve Zeidler
Mae...Julie Abud
Poopsie...Kathy Musselman
2nd Worker...Ethan Chan
Pop..Gregory J Kontos
Charlie/Max/Ensemble...Rick Love
Mary/Ensemble....Angela Clark
Virginia/Ensemble...Katherine Hart
Joanne...Katie Kostner
Brenda/1st Girl/Ensemble...Nicole Gruenberg
Mara/Ensemble...Elena Lazovov
Ensemble/Waitress...Laura Miller
Sandra/Ensemble...Erin Manuel
Charlene/Carmen/Doris/Ensemble...Jasmine Quijano

Kid's Ensemble: Evalynn Colin, Maddie Gruenberg

 

Julie Abud (Mae) Julie is delighted to be performing in her first production with A Summer Place.  By day, Julie is a 7th grade Middle School teacher in Glen Ellyn. She is the proud mother of 15 year old triplets that are sophomores at Naperville Central.  She would like to thank her friends and especially her family for their undying support throughout this production. 

Bob Bullen (Hines) Bob Bullen is delighted to be a part of SPT with this fantastic cast and crew. Prior credits include “Sondheim on Sondheim” at Village Theatre Guild, “Sweeney Todd” at North Riverside Players and Matt in “The Fantasticks.” Other related efforts include “The Sunset Project” podcast. @BroadwayBob on Tiktok.  

Ethan Chan (Second Worker/Ensemble) Ethan is thrilled to join the cast of The Pajama Game through Summer Place Theatre. He lives in Naperville, Illinois and attends Naperville Central High School. Ethan has previously played the role of Chad in High School Musical Jr and Adult Simba in Lion King Jr at Kennedy Junior High School. Ethan is 14 years old and loves to sing, dance, act and create art.

Angela Clark (Mary/Ensemble) Angela is over the moon about performing in The Pajama Game! This is her third performance with Summer Place after performing in The Sound of Music (Ensemble) and The Mighty Ted (Sabrina/Nova-cane), and has been performing in theaters since the start of middle school. She can’t thank her friends and family enough for listening to her excited rambles about this show and random topics.

Paige Coe (Mabel) Paige Coe is an Illinois born, raised, and based actor. She received her BFA in Musical Theater from Western Illinois University and has had the pleasure of working with several incredible theaters and many talented artists since. Paige is thrilled to be making her SPT debut! She would like to thank her husband, Camden, for his endless love and support.

Evalynn Colin (Kid’s Ensemble) This is Evalynn’s first year performing in Summer Place, and she is excited to be a part of The Pajama Game cast! She recently performed in her school’s musical, Disney’s Frozen Jr., and fell in love with the theater experience. She hopes to continue performing on stage and would like to thank the Summer Place staff and her elementary musical directors for giving her the opportunity to grow. 

Nicole Gruenberg (Brenda/First Girl/Ensemble) Nicole is excited to be back performing with Summer Place Theater after 7 years, having played Alma Hix in their production of The Music Man. Since then, her theater endeavors have mostly included serving as a director, choreographer or class teacher for local theater companies. She is delighted to be back on stage again, rather than behind the scenes. Outside of serving in those roles and running her own business, she enjoys spending time with her family, especially serving on the tech team for her kids' musical theater productions.

Maddie Gruenberg (Kid’s Ensemble) At the age of 10, Maddie Grueneberg is no stranger to the stage. Having grown up watching her older sister and mom in theater, she was eager to get started and was cast in her first musical as an orphan in Annie, at 6 years old. Since then, she has performed with a variety of local theater companies, with her favorite role being Flounder in CYT Chicago's production of The Little Mermaid, Jr.  She is excited for the opportunity to perform with Summer Place Theater for the first time, and also perform again alongside her mom!

Jeff Harding (Prez) Jeff is delighted to be returning to perform at Summer Place Theatre. He was last seen in Naperville in Summer Lovin', the first post-Covid show. Jeff's most memorable roles are Nathan Jessup (A Few Good Men), Bill Sykes (Oliver), and Sydney Bruhl (Deathtrap). Huge thanks to Monica for supporting Jeff's pursuit of the arts.

Katherine Hart (Virginia/Ensemble) Katherine is thrilled to be on stage in The Pajama Game, for Mary Jean! Previous onstage credits include: Miracle on 34th Street (Elf J), The Merry Wives of Windsor (Shallow and Fairy), A Trip to Bountiful (Ensemble), The Creature Creeps (Freda Zitzen), The Tempest (Foley Artist), Love Labour’s Lost (Antonia Dull), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Mustardseed), Much Ado About Nothing (Ursula), The Comedy of Errors (First Merchant/Servant), Much Ado About Nothing (Ursula u/s - performed) and Cyrano de Bergerac (Sister Martha). She has worked extensively backstage with a variety of companies and the Edinburgh International Fringe Festival in Scotland. Graduate of St. Norbert College (double B.A.) and Tribeca Academy (A.A.S.). Much love and thanks to her family and friends for all their love and support. 

Gregory Kontos (Pop) Gregory is returning to the Summer Place stage where he played the Hat Maker and was part of the Fiddler on the Roof ensemble back in 1986 under the direction of Doc Shanower. He is a graduate of North Central College (1987) where he was in a number of musical productions, including How to Succeed . . . (Mr. Twimble) and The Boys From Syracuse (Antipholus). He recently played Willam Henry Blore in And Then There Were None. He is excited to be part of The Pajama Game and once again working with his daughter Marianna.

Katie Kostner (Joanne/Ensemble) is excited to be making her Summer Place debut! She just finished her first year of college at the Viterbo University Conservatory for the Performing Arts in La Crosse, WI where she is earning her BFA in Music Theatre with minors in music and dance. Some of her favorite past roles include Dragon in "Shrek, the Musical" and Yvette in "Clue" and being Swing and Assistant Director for "Heathers".  Katie works as a gigging musician performing throughout the Chicagoland area and was honored to sing the National Anthem twice for the Chicago White Sox! Katie would like to thank cast, crew and team at Summer Place for welcoming her into their family!

Elena Lazarov (Mara/Ensemble) Elena is so excited to be making her Summer Place Theatre debut. Her long time love of acting and singing are what inspired her to get involved in musical theatre. Thank you to the cast, crew, and staff for making this the most memorable experience! Enjoy the show!

Rick Love (Charlie/Max/Ensemble) Rick is happy to be back with Summer Place, hopefully providing you a little more fun than as the evil Herr Zeller in last year’s The Sound of Music. He was also recently in A Christmas Carol - A 1940’s Radio Show, Mamma Mia! (Harry Bright), and Footloose (Rev Shaw), and has appeared in several other Naperville area productions, including at Kidz Kabaret / Center Stage. Other favorite roles include Mr Bumble (Oliver), Grandpa Joe (Willy Wonka), and Geppetto (My Son Pinocchio). He moonlights as Santa.

Erin Manuel (Sandra/Ensemble) Erin had featured dancer roles in her high school musical productions of Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella. She was also a long time choir student throughout middle and high school. As this is her first production out of high school she is super excited to be part of the ensemble in The Pajama Game.

Laura Miller (Ensemble/Waitress) Happy to return to this stage after playing Bloody Mary in South Pacific, and a nun in The Sound of Music. Other favorite roles include Yente in Fiddler on the Roof, Aunt Eller in Oklahoma, & Mrs. Paroo in The Music Man. A great big thanks to the staff, crew and fellow cast members for helping make this show be a big success! 

Kathy Musselman (Poopsie)  Kathy Musselman is excited to perform in her first production with Summer Place Theatre. She has a Musical Theatre degree from North Central College, where she spent 15 years performing in their Summer Theatre program, portraying roles including Rosie (Bye Bye Birdie), Anna (The King and I), and Queen Aggravain (Once Upon A Mattress). Kathy has also worked with Magical Starlight Theatre, both as an actor and a costume designer. She is excited to return to the stage after a 3 year pandemic hiatus, and to the show that was her High School Senior Year musical! 

Christina Peck (Babe Williams) Christina is extremely excited to share the stage with her husband, Jason, in The Pajama Game. You may have last seen Christina in her role as Liesl von Trapp in Summer Place's production of The Sound of Music. When Christina is not on stage, she is a high school special education teacher.  Endless gratitude to her family and friends who support her in her passions. Enjoy the show!

Jason Peck (Sid Sorokin) Jason is thrilled to be returning to the stage at SPT in the role of Sid and sharing the spotlight with his wonderful wife as Babe! He was seen previously with SPT in the roles of Rolf in The Sound of Music and Professor in South Pacific. He would like to thank his wife as well as all of his family and friends for their support!

Jasmine Quijano (Carlene/Carmen/Doris/Ensemble) Jasmine is so excited to be a part of her first production with Summer Place Theatre! With her training with BroadwayEvolved in New York she will do her best to show the best of her abilities with this amazing production. At Plainfield East High school she played the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, Ashley in Emma A Pop Musical, and performed at Joliet Junior College as Mira in the production The Theory of Relativity. 

Taylor Weisz (Gladys) Taylor is happy to be making her SPT on stage debut after being behind the scenes last year! Prior Credits include Tarzan (Terk), The Addams Family (Wednesday), West Side Story, and so many more.  She would love to thank her family for all of their support. "Enjoy the show!"

Steve Zeidler (Mr. Hasler) 

 

Artistic Staff

Director/Scenic Designer…Barry Norton
Music Director…Kitty Karn
Vocal Director…Ted Waltmire
Choreographer…Marianna Kontos
Rehearsal Accompanist…Amy Wolski
Producer….Ted Waltmire, Steve Zeidler

Production Staff

Technical Director…Sam Dempsey
Lighting Designer...Deb Holman
Sound Designer...Bill Ryden
Photography…Tamara Djukic
Costumes Provided by….All Dressed Up
Properties Designer...Patty Meier
Stage Manager...Giana Salerno
Assistant Stage Manager...Chris Knight
Graphic Designer…Riley Tomes
Program…Riley Tomes, Matt Whalen
Marketing/Publicity...Matt Whalen, Taylor Weisz, Christina Peck, Riley Tomes

VIP, Season, Group and Individual tickets are now on sale!. Buy a season ticket for both The Pajama Game and Newsies and save some money - you KNOW you want to see both!

Ticket Information

THE PAJAMA GAME is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).  All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI.  www.mtishows.com

 

OUR PRODUCTION STAFF

Barry R. Norton Director/Scenic Designer. Barry is a recently retired teacher from CPS after 34 years of service. Barry is excited to be joining the artistic team for Summer Place Theatre and to be directing this classic musical The Pajama Game!! Barry holds a B.A. from Columbia College and an M.A. from Concordia University. At Columbia, he studied under the late Sheldon Patinkin and the Steppenwolf Theatre Ensemble. With over 35 years of experience, he has held positions as Artistic Director at The Woodstock Opera House. He has earned a Heart Award for his work on Always Patsy Cline and the WMTC Encore Award for 2014/15 for Oliver. Nominated for the Broadway World Award for best direction of a musical Oliver! for Woodstock Musical Theatre. His directing credits include both Professional and Community Theatre work. Some of his work includes Mamma Mia, Nunsense, Joseph...Dreamcoat, Oliver!, Annie, Crazy for You, and Always Patsy Cline for WMTC. Hairspray and Fame for BrightSide in Naperville. Seussical, The King and I, for Footlighters Theatre in Des Plaines. Hello Dolly! for RCLCP in Crystal Lake. Other directing jobs include Bye Bye Birdie The Wiz, The Music Man, and Annie Get Your Gun. When not around the stage directing, set designing, painting, or performing he can be found spending time with friends, family, and his dog Mia. He would like to thank Summer Place Theatre for welcoming him on board!

Marianna Kontos Choreographer. Marianna is thrilled to make her Summer Place Theatre debut after being an adoring patron since childhood! Marianna began her dance journey from birth, being born into her family’s Greek Folk dancing group, The Apollo Dance Troupe. She began studying many other styles from age 3 and became hooked. Marianna is no stranger to behind-the-scenes work. Her theatrical passions also include scenic carpentry/design and prop creating; her true loves alongside dance. Marianna started her career in the Community Theatre scene a few years ago at Theatre-On-The-Hill in Bolingbrook where she remains on staff. She is excited to spread the wonders of Bob Fosse through this show! Marianna can’t wait to dance with you this spring!

Kitty Karn Music Director. Kitty is a singer/actor and voice teacher who has musically and/or vocally directed over 30 shows at the community, college and professional level since 2002. She moved to the area in 2019 after 15 years as Professor of Musical Theatre/Voice at Western Illinois University. Currently, Kitty is an Adjunct Professor of Voice at University of Illinois at Chicago as well as the Music Director for Unity of Fox Valley in Batavia. Kitty maintains a private voice studio with students of all ages and skill levels. As a performer, some of her favorite roles include Mrs. Potts in Beauty and the Beast, Chaperone in The Drowsy Chaperone, Marmee in Little Women, Florence Foster Jenkins in Souvenir and Phoebe in The Yeomen of the Guard. www.kittykarn.com

Ted Waltmire Vocal Director/Co-Producer. Ted has survived a stroke, written a musical which was produced by Summer Place in 2021. He has been a part of The Summer Place since 1977 appearing on stage, music directing and producing many shows including Into the Woods, The Music Man, Damn Yankees and Guys and Dolls.

Sam Dempsey Technical Director/Master Carpenter. Sam has been involved in the entertainment industry for the past 25 years. He received his BA in theater from North Central College, and his MFA in technical direction from SIU. After receiving his masters, he was the technical director for Pfeiffer Hall and the North Central College Theater department. He was promoted to Production Manager for the Fine Arts department as the Wentz Concert Hall was being constructed. After leaving the college Sam has involved himself in various community events such as the Naperville Jaycees Last Fling. Sam has worked on more shows and concerts that he can list.

Deb Holmen-Madden Lighting Designer. Deb spends most of her time behind a few glowing screens, teaching students computers. She is thrilled when the time comes to enter a dark theater and paint the stage with light. Deb has been saturating stages with light for almost two decades, and is thrilled to be part of this adventurous team. https://tinyurl.com/DebsLighting

Bill Ryden Sound Designer. This is Bill's second season with Summer Place and is excited to be back behind the soundboard for this summer’s productions of The Pajama Game and Newsies. His involvement in theater began when his children got involved with CYT Chicago almost 15 years ago. He started doing sound for them 10 years ago and have worked on about 20 shows. He loves working with actors and directors to make their vision come to life and making the shows sound awesome. He is thankful to his wife, Kim, and four children for their love and support.

Patty Meier Properties Designer. Patty is excited to be making her debut with Summer Palace though is no stranger to the theatre world. Her most recent credits are stage managing Boeing Boeing and The Creators (3 Brothers Theatre). Shout out to her family, friends and boyfriend Chris for their constant support with her theatre life. She would also like to say break a leg/ thank you the cast and crew of The Pajama Game for this opportunity. Enjoy the show! 

Giana Salerno Stage Manager. Giana had a blast working on The Sound of Music last summer and is thrilled to be returning to Summer Place. A current sophomore stage management major, she has seen over 100 different shows and has been involved in various theatre crew since 5th grade. When she's not behind the scenes or in the audience of a show, Giana enjoys ballroom dancing, traveling, and roller coasters.

Chris Knight Assistant Stage Manager. Chris is excited to be volunteering with Summer Place Theatre once again. Last year he was head crew on The Sound of Music and this year is stepping up to Assistant Stage Manager. He has been in several previous SPT productions including Footloose, Anything Goes, and Jesus Christ Superstar. When the theatre isn't calling, Chris works from home as an electronics engineer. He thanks his wife Sandra and daughter Lucinda for allowing him to indulge in his summer theater habit.

Amy Steele (Rehearsal Accompanist)

Amy is happy to have had the chance to play along with this cast and production team. As a performer, recent roles include Elsa in the Sound of Music (Beverly Arts Center) and Cathy in The Last Five Years (Steel Beam Theatre). Next up, teaching 8 weeks of Musical Theatre Summer Camps with Chicago Kids Company.