"9 to 5" a wild and witty stage musical

The stars of ''9 to 5: The Musical'' and composer (L-R) Stephanie J. Block, Allison Janney, Marc Kudisch, composer Dolly Parton and Megan Hilty are pictured at a news conference promoting the musical in Los Angeles, September 18, 2008.

9 to 5: The Musical

By Jay Reiner

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Let's get this one out of the way: You can put lipstick on a male chauvinist pig, but . . . he's still a pig.

We're speaking, of course, about Franklin Hart (Marc Kudisch), the super-sexist boss who gets his comeuppance in "9 to 5: The Musical," the Dolly Partonized musical based on the popular 1980 film starring Parton, Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda and Dabney Coleman as the boss. If you liked the film, you're going to love the musical.

Actually, the film always was a musical waiting to happen, and Parton has made the most of the opportunity. Her songwriting skills along with her desire to dazzle in whatever she does were made for Broadway, which is where the show is headed in April.

The best thing about the score is the way it humanizes the three main characters without sacrificing their blazing anger or thirst for revenge. The next best thing is the way the film's fantasy sequences have been opened up into intricate production numbers that illustrate what's going on in someone's mind, which isn't always pretty but is greatly entertaining.

Replacing Parton, Tomlin and Fonda is a daunting task, but the trio of Megan Hilty, Allison Janney and Stephanie J. Block rise to the occasion and exhibit a fine chemistry together as well. (During a long technical glitch in Act 1, Parton, sitting in the audience along with Tomlin and Fonda, said she's been asked why the three of them didn't reprise their roles. "Instead of calling the show '9 to 5,'" she said, "we'd have to call it 95.'" Then she sang the title song to a thrilled audience and practically stole the show.)

Janney, as efficient office manager Violet (Tomlin's role), brings a dry, spare wit to the part and a take-charge attitude that fits the character perfectly. Her singing will surprise you, and when she puts on a white suit and struts around for her "One of the Boys" number, she's a musical comedy star.

Hilty gets to play Doralee (Parton's part), the buxom secretary with a country girl background and a double-D foreground. Her "Backwoods Barbie," the title cut of a recent Parton album, is a terrific little song that appears to have come straight from Parton's heart.

Block is Judy (Fonda's role), the naive divorcee who finally figures out how to live her own life. Her "Get Out and Stay Out" declaration to her ex reveals a strong pair of pipes to go along with her revitalized spirit.

Kudisch is devilishly good as the boss from hell, which is where he winds up in one elaborate number.

A fine supporting cast is headed by Kathy Fitzgerald as Roz, the office snoop with a secret yen for the boss. Fitzgerald gets one of the show's primo numbers in "Heart to Hart," a red-hot, shameless fantasy set in the ladies bathroom.

This is a large, complex show full of technological wizardry that still has a few bugs to work out. A judicious cut or two might lessen the redundancy and improve the flow in certain spots. But in the main, Parton, Resnick, choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler, musical director Stephen Oremus and director Joe Mantello have done a sensational job.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter