Despite a stellar cast in the new musical 9 to 5, the show needs a lot of work before it makes its debut on Broadway. The Ahmanson production in downtown Los Angeles, with music written by Dolly Parton, delayed its opening in the beginning of September because of technical difficulties. When the author attended the show on October 2, the production still had plenty of kinks to be worked out. Several key elements of the set design were malfunctioning, causing the production to feel uneven and amateur.
The Show's Impressive Cast
9 to 5 stars the always-wonderful Allison Janney as Violet Newstead (played by Lily Tomlin in the film). She’s given the best lines, but her singing voice often isn’t strong enough for the songs she was given. Doralee Rhodes is the complete Dolly knock-off, played by Megan Hilty (best known as Glinda in Wicked,) but despite her amazing voice, the country accent often seems out of place with the rest of the show.
The true standout of the cast is Stephanie J. Block (who also starred in Wicked as Elphaba,) who plays Judy Bernly. Block is given the best songs with the most belting. Her songs are the only ones that seem to fit her voice. A standout song (and truly one of the best in the show) is “Get Out and Stay Out,” a torch song that Block sings with passion and fire.
While the supporting cast is strong, it is Kathy Fitzgerald as Roz that truly steals the show. Her song, “Heart to Hart” allows her the chance to shine (although the background dancers take away the focus that should be left solely on her.)
Although the show is overall great fun, there are many slight changes that would improve it. The choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler is stiff and boring, and the chorus never seems to warrant actual time onstage. Some of the songs are just plain cheesy—Hilty deserves much better than “Cowgirl’s Revenge.” While Janney brings down the house with “One of the Boys,” the audience is left hoping that the corny background dancers would disappear, and Janney would be permitted to just sing.
The Show's Identity
Parton is certainly an accomplished songwriter (“I Will Always Love You” and the title song), but the show might have been better served if someone else had contributed to the songs. The country vibe seems out of place with the rest of the show, and it leaves the finished product with an apparent confused identity. The production doesn’t know whether it wants to be a political office send up or a fantasy Broadway spectacular. The show would have been more cohesive if it followed the movie’s example as a simple comedy with heart.
The three main actresses have great chemistry together—their harmonies are always spot on. But it has to be said that the trio deserves way better material than this.
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