Sunset Playhouse’s ‘9-5 The Musical’ is a Nostalgic ‘70s Throwback
In December of 1980, the funny, feminist 9-5, was released. Yes, there was indeed a great workplace comedy that accompanied Dolly Parton’s incredibly catchy titular tune. And if you’re 40 years late to the story of 9-5, it’s a simple but fun one.
Three unlikely workplace friends meet up and commiserate about their horrible boss, Franklin Hart Jr. Each member of the trio is fed up with the men in their lives, with being used and mistreated at work, with the sexual harassment they face, and they start to lean on each other to get through it.
In the movie, Violet Newstead, played by Lily Tomlin, is a recently widowed single mother who worked all the way to the glass ceiling she’s been banging on, hoping to break through. Judy Bernly, played by Jane Fonda, is the new girl at Consolidated Companies (where the three meet), a job she needed to get after her husband left her for his secretary. And Doralee, played by Dolly Parton in her film debut, is being directly sexually harassed by the boss, Franklin Hart Jr.
Backed by a myriad of support office characters, the trio hatches a plan to get back at the boss. And, in the meantime, make some in-office changes that better support the workers, including things like in-house daycare, rehabilitation services and even –gasp– equal pay for the women in the office.
Without sharing too much of their shenanigans, the three get away with their mischievous plan, and the “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical, bigoted” Mr. Hart has to reckon with the consequences.
In 2008, Dolly Parton and one of the original writers of the movie, Patricia Resnick, reformulated the story into a musical, with the music and lyrics being written by Dolly Parton. The musical is pretty close to a 1-to-1 adaptation, full of the same tricks, fun and camaraderie. After years of national and international tours, the musical is now being performed at regional playhouses across the country.
Until Nov. 3, Elm Grove’s Sunset Playhouse is putting on the musical.
Thursday, Oct. 17 was opening night at Sunset. The show opened on an ensemble performance of the titular song, with the cast pouring themselves a cup of ambition. The set is so ‘70s – lots of reds, oranges and yellows, sharp-edged and modular furniture throughout, and fun wall panels that get used creatively throughout the performance.
We meet Violet Newstead (Margaret Teshner) who is introducing the new girl Judy Bernly (Vivian Romano) to the office. Newstead warns Bernly about Doralee Rhodes (Dana Marklund), who she believes is sleeping with the boss. Rhodes, who is certainly not sleeping with the boss, doesn’t understand why all the women in the office ignore her.
After a hallway confrontation, and a run-in with office snob Roz Keith (Heather Houdlett), the truth comes out and the trio realize that each of them were being unfairly used. During an extended lunch, they hatch the plan to unravel the unjust control on the company, get the pay and recognition they deserve and make Mr. Hart pay for his wrongdoings. Chaos (and revenge) ensues as their plan falls apart, and the women have to scramble to make sure they can still pull it off.
Throughout the musical, each of the leads have at least one solo – all incredibly emotional and well-performed. Teshner has some particularly strong moments, as does Houdlett, who performs a standout, lustful ode to Mr. Hart. In the beginning, the ensemble performances were pretty quiet. Perhaps it was opening night jitters, because as the play progressed the crew projected more, got louder and more confident, and it made all the difference in those big ensemble scenes.
hough the story is funny and over the top, it does speak to real challenges of working women. This performance was nostalgic, funny and an apt reminder of how far we’ve come, and how far we have yet to go in the fight for equality in and out of the workplace.
9-5 is running at Sunset Playhouse through Nov. 3. Tickets can be purchased by calling the box office or online.
