'9 To 5-The Musical' -LA Oct 11th 2pm

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 10/12/08 at 2:55pm

I had the great pleasure of catching this stunning new production yesterday afternoon at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles.
The production is simply brilliant and by the time it opens on Broadway it will have been made so tight it will be perfect.
The staging is by far the cleverest I have seen in years and works so slickly that you just sit in amazement at the speed of some of the changes- a couple actually had a round of applause on completion!
The three women are the most perfect casting and I certainly hope they all get to Broadway with the show. Allison Janney steals the show with a performance that is complete comic heaven. She may not have the best voice on that stage but boy does she know how to try- her 11 o'clock number is stunning and she looks like she is having so much fun!
Her thunder is almost stolen by a great performance from Stephanie J Block who starts off as a timid and shy, battered wife and ends up with the best strong woman number to hit the musical stage in years!
Megan Hilty 'IS' Dolly Parton and puts in a sunblime performnce as the misunderstood floozy who isn't!
All three work together on such a high level you can feel the audience rooting for them every inch of the way through the most hilarious scenes when they get their own back on the boss from hell.
Marc Kudish does a great job as the misogynistic, egotistical boss and finds himself for most of act two suspended above the stage in a harness!
The set is stunning and well worth any problems they had with it at the beginning of the run.
A great supporting cast are great and work very hard in a show that keeps them very busy being almost all the time on stage.
A Broadway bound hit thats gonna kick the ass off 'Legally Blonde', 'Footloose' and all those other movie to stage shows of the last few years.
I cant wait to see it a again!



Updated On: 10/12/08 at 02:55 PM

[BroadwayBound115]

Posted: 10/12/08 at 2:58pm

I am MORE THAN HAPPY to hear this review. I hope this wins best musical along with some tony noms for featured actress and actress. can't wait for it to hit broadway!

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/12/08 at 2:58pm

But should she be playing Megan Hilty playing Dolly Parton, or should she be playing Megan Hilty as Doralee?

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 10/12/08 at 3:02pm

Its a sublime mix of both. Its a case of if it aint broke -don't fix it!
Nobody could do a better job and she looks divine with the most fantastic false breast suite you will ever see AND a 21' waist! People arn't going to expect anything else!
Updated On: 10/12/08 at 03:02 PM

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 10/12/08 at 3:05pm

I was there as well, and concur with the review.

The only changes I would recommend is a little trimming of the first act, because it is so much longer than the second.

And Yankee, I think that it is impossible to separate Dolly Parton from the role she created in the movie, and since Parton wrote the music, her voice and view is echoing throughout this.

The only question I have is how the Tony's noms will be pursued. They all basically have equal stage time, and I cannot say that any one is the lead. Hilty has the most showy role, but Block's transformation is wonderful to watch, and Janney is the anchor.

I thought all of the leads were marvelous, and the sets pretty damn amazing. I would pay again in a heartbeat to see this.

And Mark Kudish was just wonderful. It looks like he was having a blast the whole time.

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 10/12/08 at 3:09pm

Yea, Act 1 was 1hr 30mins and Act 2 came in at about 45mins. I didn't have a prob with that but theatre audiences in general may do.
A great afternoon YWIW!

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 10/12/08 at 3:26pm

The Mark Taper Forum Theatre, part of the LA theatre complex with The Ahmanson, is advertising that they will present The Donmar Warehouse Theatre production of 'Parade' next Summer!!!
Could it move East after that run???
I'm not sure if its been mentioned on here but in case not, I have now.
Updated On: 10/12/08 at 03:26 PM

[B3TA07]

Posted: 10/12/08 at 3:35pm

Allison Janney has an 11 o'clock number? "Let love grow?"

[ljay889]

Posted: 10/12/08 at 3:35pm

Thank you, Wickedboy2.

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 10/12/08 at 3:39pm

No, thats pretty near the end tho. she has a number with the boy dancers -very much like One Of The Boys from 'Woman of The Year'! AAAAGh i cant think of the name of it and I've just packed my bag with the program!
She comes out of dowdy office clothes and into a bright white suite as she becomes the first female company chairman!
Updated On: 10/12/08 at 03:39 PM

[thevolleyballer]

Posted: 10/12/08 at 3:42pm

Err... the name IS "One of the Boys."

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 10/12/08 at 3:44pm

OK OK as I said I've packed my program away!!!!

[Popular]

Posted: 10/12/08 at 4:50pm

MDF and YWIW??? - Thanks for sharing your thoughts :)

[BillFinn]

Posted: 10/12/08 at 6:23pm

"One of the Boys" is Violet's I Am Song. "Get Out & Stay Out" is the 11 o'clock number.

Updated On: 10/12/08 at 06:23 PM

[singingbackup]

Posted: 10/12/08 at 6:53pm

Count me in as loving it too! I would love to see "Shine Like The Sun" reprised at the end to give us a more rousing finish, and it does button up the proceedings nicely!

[feline0favenueQ]

Posted: 10/12/08 at 7:33pm

Can't wait for it to hit Broadway!!!

[WickedPirate2]

Posted: 10/12/08 at 9:31pm

Thanks to both of your for your thoughts! I saw the show last month and have been waiting to see what other people think of the show ever since! I, for one, loved it and i can't wait to see what they do to "tighten" it up for Broadway.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 10/12/08 at 10:46pm

Why is he in a harness?

[VocalLizzy]

Posted: 10/12/08 at 11:19pm

"Why is he in a harness? "

Re-rent the movie.

(Anyone got a garage door opener? *snert*)

Miss Lizzy
Rock of Ages - Nothin' but a Good Time!

[Malice]

Posted: 10/12/08 at 11:26pm

I loved this movie so much as a kid, and it has not gotten old over the years for me. I can't wait for this to start previews here in NYC.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 10/12/08 at 11:48pm

I don't want to watch the movie. I want to see the show.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 10/13/08 at 12:00am

And "One of the Boys" is at the top of act 2 isn't it...11 o'clocks are near the end.

Updated On: 10/13/08 at 12:00 AM

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 10/13/08 at 12:19am

Yes it is. I think Get Out and Stay out is the traditional "11 O-Clock Number" - and Stephanie just nails it.

But "One of the Boys" is a flashy production number for Violet. It is the third song in (a somewhat short) second act.

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 10/13/08 at 12:22am

I was there yesterday as well. I enjoyed the show, but I think it needs a lot of work.

Everyone in it is wonderful. (Joe Mantello is such pro!) The big problem is the book. Also, there are WAY too many songs and not enough "really good" ones.

I will try to elaborate but I'm not sure I will have the time. I want to go back and read what others have posted before I repeat what has already been said. (I don't like to read "reviews" before I see a show. But AFTER is always fun!)

I think the show has the potential to be a hit, but right now, as is, it's a bit meandering and unfocused.

Stephanie J. Block is hilarious. Megan Hilty is delightful. But I'm just stunned by Alison Janney. I've always considered her a great actress, but who knew she would be such a force in a musical! (The movie HAIRSPRAY doesn't count.) Simply dazzling!

[mallardo]

Posted: 10/13/08 at 3:54am

And yet it's being reported on the other Board that the show has such problms that it "may not come to New York".