Character guide
Babe Williams
from The Pajama Game
Babe Williams is the female lead of The Pajama Game, a 1954 musical by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, where she heads the union grievance committee at a pajama factory.
- Show
- The Pajama Game
- Broadway premiere
- 1954
- Role
- Lead
- Music by
- Adler & Ross
Babe Williams on stage vs screen
Broadway compared with the 1957 film
The one major casting change between Broadway and the 1957 film is Babe herself. Janis Paige originated the union grievance chair in 1954, but Warner Bros. gave the role to Doris Day while keeping most of the stage cast, including John Raitt as Sid. Paige later said that if Frank Sinatra had taken the male lead instead of Raitt, she would have kept her part.
Day's Babe sings I'm Not at All in Love, Once-a-Year Day, Small Talk, There Once Was a Man and 7½ Cents, plus a reprise of Hey There. Kelli O'Hara played Babe in the 2006 Broadway revival.
Who is Babe Williams?
Babe works on the factory floor at Sleep Tite Pajamas and serves as chair of the union grievance committee, making her one of the most vocal advocates for the workers' demand for a raise. When new superintendent Sid Sorokin arrives, the two are drawn to each other even though their positions put them on opposite sides of the labor dispute.
Babe is principled and independent, unwilling to let romance distract her from standing up for her coworkers, which creates much of the show's central tension. Her insistence on fairness, both in wages and in her relationship with Sid, defines her throughout the story.
Babe's role in The Pajama Game
Babe is a lead role that requires a performer who can be both a convincing labor organizer and a believable romantic lead, with songs that range from playful to defiant. Her material includes duets with Sid as well as ensemble numbers tied to the factory workers' cause.
Janis Paige originated the role on Broadway in 1954. Audiences remember Babe as an unusually assertive leading lady for a 1950s musical, a woman whose politics and romantic life are treated as equally important to the story.
Babe Williams: frequently asked questions
What show is Babe Williams from?
Babe Williams is the female lead of The Pajama Game, which opened on Broadway in 1954.
Is Babe Williams a lead or supporting role?
Babe is a lead role, serving as the head of the factory's union grievance committee and Sid's romantic interest.
Who wrote the music for The Pajama Game?
Richard Adler and Jerry Ross wrote the music and lyrics for The Pajama Game.
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