9 to 5 (musical)
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This section contains information about an upcoming play or musical. The content is expected to change as more information becomes available and/or it has its official opening night. |
9 to 5: The Musical is an upcoming musical, with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton and a book by Patricia Resnick, based on the 1980 movie Nine to Five. Resnick was the screenwriter of the film, in which Parton had her first film role.
The musical is scheduled to premiere at Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles with previews starting September 3, 2008 and official opening on September 21, running through October 19, 2008. According to an article in playbill.com, the production is aiming for a Spring 2009 Broadway debut.[1]
The production has announced the following cast: Allison Janney as Violet Newstead (the Lily Tomlin role), Stephanie J. Block as Judy Bernly (the Jane Fonda role), Megan Hilty as Doralee Rhodes (the Dolly Parton role), and Marc Kudisch as Franklin Hart Jr. (the Dabney Coleman role).[2] Joe Mantello is scheduled to direct, with choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, scenic design by Scott Pask and lighting design by Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer.
Parton won an Academy Award nomination for the "9 to 5" single. Her new album, Backwoods Barbie, was released in February 2008. It has been reported that the title track is a song written for the character of Doralee from Parton's score for the musical.
[edit] Development
A reading of the material was given on January 19, 2007 (coincidentally Parton's 61st birthday), with a cast including Tracey Ullman, Alice Ripley and Megan Hilty, with Norm Lewis, Marc Kudisch, Amy Hohn and an ensemble.
A revised draft was tested in a week-long workshop reading process that began on June 20, 2007 and culminated with industry presentations on June 28, 2007 in New York City. That workshop cast included the previously mentioned cast in their respective roles along with Bebe Neuwirth as Roz and Andy Karl, among others.[3]
