By ARIANA APOSTOL
Staff Writer
This year’s musical, The Pajama Game, opened on February 18. Performances will take place today through Saturday as well as next Thursday through Saturday, all of which will start at 7 PM. Tickets cost $13 with ASB and $15 without. 
The show has 82 seats open for tonight and 158 seats open for Saturday night. “We aim to sell 1,700-2,200 seats total to reaching our fundraising goals. The show costs $48,000 in total, and it’s the best show we’ve produced to date,” said Ms. Ranae Bettger (Visual and Performing Arts Dept.), director of the musical.
In previous years, Fine Arts Week has taken place alongside the first premiere of this show. This timing has offered the drama department constant advertising to students and faculty alike via the scheduled assemblies and artist showcases. This year, however, due to schedule changes, the musical will have its first weekend premiere before Fine Arts Week begins.
Lead actress Corinne Alsop (Jr.) said, “Because the fine arts assembly is next week, no one knows there’s a first week of shows. And since we’re probably going to sell out next week, people who buy next week probably won’t have good seats, but people who buy this week will.” Because of this, students, and other viewers alike are encouraged to pre-purchase tickets either for the first or second showing of the musical.
The Pajama Game is a classical comedy written about a seamstress named Babe Williams, played by Alsop, who leads a group of workers in fighting for a raise.
Ellie Williams (Sr.), who also encourages people to come, said, “It has great acting, beautiful singing and incredible choreography (our choreographer is a professional who has choreographed for several famous people such as Gwen Stefani). We all worked insanely hard on this show and we hope that we can perform it for as many people as possible. Since there are six chances to see it, everyone should come check it out!”
Alongside the musical’s inclusion of new choreography and fast paced storyline, the show is also backed by a live pit orchestra made of UHS’s own student musicians. Pit member Dorothy Xu (Jr.) said, “You should come because even though it’s not our usual Disney show, it’s still really interesting and funny.”
Students and families can expect a variety of costumes, sets and musical numbers from the cast, which has students from all grade levels. Tickets are sold at the Little Theater at snack and lunch or online at www.seatyourself.biz/iusd.