Character guide
Prez
from The Pajama Game
Prez is a supporting character in The Pajama Game, the 1954 musical by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, serving as president of the pajama factory's local union.
- Show
- The Pajama Game
- Broadway premiere
- 1954
- Role
- Supporting
- Music by
- Adler & Ross
Prez on stage vs screen
Broadway compared with the 1957 film
Stanley Prager originated Prez, the married union president with a wandering eye, on Broadway in 1954, but in the 1957 film the role went to Jack Straw, one of the few changes from the stage cast. The screen Prez also loses his flirting in song: Her Is, his stage duet with Gladys, and its reprise with Mae are not among the film's numbers.
He keeps 7½ Cents, the number about the workers' raise, sung on screen with Babe and the ensemble.
Who is Prez?
Prez leads the factory workers' union at Sleep Tite Pajamas, guiding the fight for a seven and a half cent raise alongside grievance chair Babe Williams. He is a comic figure with a well known weakness for pursuing women, which frequently gets him into trouble even as he manages the union's serious business.
As a factory floor leader, Prez helps anchor the show's labor storyline, representing the workers' collective voice even while his personal antics provide comic relief.
Prez's role in The Pajama Game
Prez is a supporting role who appears throughout the show's ensemble numbers tied to the union's cause, including scenes built around organizing meetings and factory gatherings. The part is comic rather than romantic, built to contrast with the more earnest labor politics of Babe and the more serious romance between Babe and Sid.
Stanley Prager originated the role on Broadway in 1954, helping establish Prez as a stock but memorable type, the good natured union man whose flirtatious streak keeps the factory's more serious storyline from feeling too heavy.
Prez: frequently asked questions
What show is Prez from?
Prez is a supporting character in The Pajama Game, which opened on Broadway in 1954.
Is Prez a lead or supporting role?
Prez is a supporting role, serving as the president of the factory's union local.
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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