The Electric Theater’s Roof Is Rockin With The Sights and Sounds of Dolly Partons 9 to 5!
– By James McFadden –
Yes, you heard right. There are just six performances left of this high-energy-musical to enjoy; so don’t waste a minute! Reserve your seats and get ready for an evening of toe-tapping fun and laughter at The Electric Theater. Now through March 4th.
Having never experienced Broadway myself, 9 to 5 is exactly what I would hope and expect to see fill the stage and that excitement is right here, live and in person, in little ol’ St. George.
Presented by The Stage Door, 9 to 5 is a delightfully whimsical production with music written by Dolly Parton. It comes from a time when sexism ran rampant, the corporate glass ceiling was far from being shattered, and feminism was rightfully getting its mojo on. Now, here we are 42 years later, and this whimsical revenge comedy is still filling theaters and stages with laughter.
This unapologetic musical was written by Patricia Resnick and for us here locally, it is being directed by southern Utah’s very own Venny Carranza, with music directed by Alice Erickson, and Broadway-level dancing choreographed by Emilee France.
From today’s perspective, 9 to 5 is a mesmerizing time capsule of the wage slavery and sexism of its time with a giant Xerox collating machine and clinky IBM electric typewriters everywhere. But that’s just setting the stage for this girl-powered extravaganza…
Kicking off the excitement is an evening where our three leading ladies; Christine France as Violet Newstead, Morgan Pfunder as Doralee Rhodes, and McKenzie Morgan as Judy Bernly, enjoy a weed-fuelled evening sharing their fantasies of what they’d like to do to their boss and their action plan is fortuitously pretty radical. Once they’ve got their dreadful leader tied up, they fake his signature on memos decreeing job shares, employee benefits, and an office redesign that accommodates access for daycare.
I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of this musical, the performers, and the full-bodied delight that filled our little stage here at The Electric Theater. The Electric Theater is already an intimate setting and the performers make it even more so.
So, if you are a veteran lover of 9 to 5 or if you have never enjoyed this show before, I urge you to take this opportunity to see it onstage while it lasts. While I was familiar with the movie as a kid, I had never seen the theatrical play and I’m glad I was able to enjoy it here and with this cast of performers. Bravo and Encore!
For ticket information, visit The Stage Door’s ticketing site at www.TheStageDoortheater.com.
As a Side Note: do everyone a favor when you arrive and check your theatre pretension at the door. This is a delightfully funny musical with performers who are all having a wonderful time on stage for your enlightenment and entertainment and I truly hope you will take the time to enjoy it.
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