9 to Fun

Saw 9 to 5 two days before Opening Night and I liked it. I liked it a lot.

As a critical virgo, I of course instantly observed that the piece was over-choreographed, but in a way that got better as the show progressed. Also, some of the music is a little weak, but Dolly Parton writes Bluegrass/ Country solos and duets, so what else would we expect from her? Otherwise I thought it was a big ball of fun, and the performances were fantastic!

To begin with, Allison Janney manages to pull herself out of Lily Tomlin's shadow and play the character with style, humor, and individual flair without being untrue to the part. Stephanie Block may have done even better and one-upped Jane Fonda's origination, plus her voice is the best shown off by far. Then there's Megan Hilty, who is funny and endearing and fabulous as Dora Lee, but there is a hiccup in the translation, because what she is really playing is Dolly Parton as Dora Lee, not a new interpretation. And aside from the fact that no one else is doing an homage to the originals, it's less engaging to watch. The jokes are all Dolly's, the accent is Dolly's (East Tennessee, even though the character is from Texas…Dolly can do that, Megan Hilty can't), but it's not Dolly, and not even veteran drag queens can quite pull off the Parton like her one and only, the Backwoods Barbie herself. 

Which brings me to my only real qualm with the show: the insertion of Backwoods Barbie into the score. Using 9 to 5 as a musical motif is not only expected and demanded, it's lovely and clever in its application, but having Megan Hillty sing "Backwoods Barbie" as a soliloquy song is not only off-putting and slightly out of alignment with the rest of the composition, it's also not fooling anyone. The album may not have been popular, but that was the title song, so, Dolly, we know you already wrote it for another vehicle and then shoved it into this one, and we're not buying it. Not this time. We expect Dolly Parton to write her own musical, not to writer her own juke box musical. 

But that's minor; it's one song. Otherwise, the show is hugely fun, hilarious, and a great adaptation of stage to screen, changing just enough and keeping just enough. (Of course, the screenwriter did come back for the book, so we should expect good things on that front.) The main girls are gems and the supporting cast features phenomenal character performances and high-caliber Broadway chorines doing what they do best. It tickles you, flashes in your face, makes you cry, and makes you swell with joy. It's what a Big Broadway musical should be. Is it art? Of course not, it's 9 to 5, and you're gonna love it!