"9 to 5" Chicago tour

[lovepuppy]

Posted: 1/20/11 at 5:07am

It kicked off here tonight. Dolly was here! Our fair governor announced her before the curtain went up, declaring, due to it also being her birthday, that today was "Dolly Parton Day" and he presented her with a certificate. She was adorable, funny, and looked great! The crowd spontaneously sang "Happy Birthday" to her, which she seemed genuinely touched by. She didn't say how old she is. :)

As for the show, it's cute and fun. After the opener and the second song ("Around Here," with busy and precise blocking), the next few after that were kind of forgettable, actually. But then it picked up energy and the cast got into a groove, and some chemistry finally developed between the cast and the audience.

I'm not sure what to think about Diana DeGarmo's overt imitation of Dolly's natural way of enunciating; part of it bugged me, but part of me figures she was probably directed to play it like that. That said, she did do a great job with it and has become much more of a genuine performer than some "16-year-old runner-up kid on American Idol," like she was when...she was the 16-year-old runner-up kid on American Idol. Walking in those 4-inch heels every night with that kitten-tush-walk thing she does in the name of character was probably worth her salary right there. :) Poor thing was a bit congested, but she still got the accent and the nasal drawl down pretty well, and ultimately, didn't miss a note and was able to sing out, so I give her credit. (It's dang cold here in Chicago, these days!)

Mamie Parris got the best applause of the night, late in Act II, for "Get Out and Stay Out," which was phenomenal. Dee Hoty is a dead-ringer for Allison Janney, and had the comic timing down from her first line in the opening number. She was great. It says in the Playbill that she has previously played Donna Sheridan in "Mamma Mia," which somehow I can't see, but ok. She was spotless in this. My friend liked the "horny old lady" slapstick number by Kristine Zbornik, who plays Franklin Hart's devoted (obsessed?) executive assistant, the best.

Some of the sexist jokes didn't land so well, but given the difference in the time in which the show is set (1979), compared to how society has changed by now, that makes sense. Thank goodness there were some pick-up funny lines immediately following the few off-color lines, to restore the awkward energy in the room that resulted in those few seconds in between. Did it happen like this in NY?

When I heard this show was coming to Broadway, I frankly didn't think it would last, and am kind of surprised it lasted long enough to get a tour! It's cute and fun, but there's something "eh" about it that I can't put my finger on. It's got Dolly's mark all over it (considering she wrote the music and lyrics), with some sappy melodies that weren't-quite-pop-but-not-quite-for-musicals, but also including Dolly's trademark rhyme-y wit. I love Dolly! But since some of the songs were so under-whelming, well, maybe that's part of my uncertainty about it. Some of the tunes, you'd think could have been better-written.

The cast were pros and smiled and danced and slapstick'd their butts off, though. There's a lot of unusual movement and body language in this show, and that takes a special kind of actor to a) be willing to do, and b) who can pull it off. They all did. (Especially Jane Blass, who plays Margaret, the "atta-girl" drunk, who is a dead-ringer for the actress who played her in the original movie! She was hilarious and got the most laughs with probably the fewest lines, and the aforementioned wacky body language.) Didn't care for the guy who played Hart, much. And kudos to the wig and costume designers, too. I think everyone in the cast had a wig (or more than one, in some cases).

I haven't followed this show religiously, though, so...which of these actors, if any, are direct from the Broadway production thus far? Just DeGarmo?

Dolly came out again at the end and the cast presented her with a birthday cake after the curtain call...and they formally sang her "Happy Birthday" again. So, the crowd basically sang to her twice. What was one to do: it was unusual, but spontaneous, and Dolly vamped her way through it til the lights came up. "Cute and fun" is my final answer.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 1/20/11 at 10:18am

It says in the Playbill that she has previously played Donna Sheridan in "Mamma Mia," which somehow I can't see, but ok.

I saw Dee Hoty as Donna in the pre-Broadway tour in Chicago. She was terrific. Much better than the original Donna in London.

I'm seeing 9 to 5 next week. I know it's not the best show, but I assume it will be fun.

Posted: 1/20/11 at 10:20am

Dolly is 65.

[kennygintexas]

Posted: 1/20/11 at 11:20am

I think the only person in this tour from the STELLAR Original Broadway Cast is Paul Castree, in the ensemble.

I saw (and loved) the show in New York twice, wasn't blown away by the tour. So far, I have seen the tour twice, and it was definitely better the second time. I know I am in the minority, but I didn't like many of the changes for the tour--especially the fantasy sequence. I also desperately missed Andy Blankenbuehler's brilliantly pedestrian choreography from Broadway--I felt quite let down by Jeff Calhoun's uninspired direction/choreography.

But, I am happy that more people are getting the chance to see this show via this tour; I just wish it was the Broadway production touring.

Dolly's rendition of "Change It" Updated On: 1/20/11 at 11:20 AM

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 1/20/11 at 3:52pm

Even if the Broadway production had not been a flop it would have gone through several changes in its physical production to go on tour. There are very few productions that will tour with any kind of trap requirements in their design, as it is not a guarantee that every road house will be able to accommodate them. It's far easier to just re-design/re-stage the show without the traps.

Posted: 1/20/11 at 3:55pm

I was kind of surprised Jones gave it such a lukewarm review after pimping it so hard all week. He must have really not liked it.
9 to 5 review

Posted: 1/20/11 at 3:56pm

And I figured I might as well share this earlier article about upping the "Dolly Quotient" in Chicago.
Mo Dolly

[jamiekennywicked]

Posted: 1/20/11 at 3:59pm

Could someone list the changes to the show for the tour? (Like where is GOASO moved to?

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 1/23/11 at 4:47am

I saw the show tonight, and I was thoroughly disappointed with it. I know the Broadway set was far too complex to tour, but this touring set just looked cheap, especially the column things with the changing panels. The choreography was very disappointing as well, especially after seeing clips of the original. Nothing inventive at all.
The only good thing I came away with at the end of the show was that I am now a fan of Mamie Parris.

[massofmen]

Posted: 1/23/11 at 11:26am

how is this tour still running?

[Wishing Only Wounds]

Posted: 1/23/11 at 11:37am

DeGarmo is not from the Broadway production; Megan Hilty originated an excellent Doralee on Broadway.

[BreakingTheCircle07]

Posted: 1/23/11 at 11:46am

Caught opening night as well. Fun and cute are the perfect words to describe it. Below's a link to the video I was able to take of Dolly. Review is also linked below the video box.
'9 to 5' BWW.com Video

[ABoyLikeThat]

Posted: 1/23/11 at 11:49am

It hasn't been getting panned across the board. There have been some very good reviews and it's done well in some cities. The tour cast has received a lot of positive notes, similar to the Broadway cast. I just wish they had actually re-done the book completely for the tour though.

[twinbelters]

Posted: 1/23/11 at 12:37pm

I saw it Friday and had little expectations. I had heard the cast recording which is beyond dull. But,i liked the performance quite a bit. It felt like an artifact of a bygone era and that for me was fun. The nearly all-female audience was connecting and was a good crowd to see it with.

Judy's 11oclocker was like she'd just turned into something transcendent and tore the roof off.

I may see it again actually. I enjoyed it more than Billy Elliot which I thought was touching if workman-like.

[sally1112]

Posted: 1/23/11 at 12:46pm

I saw the Broadway production once, and the tour last week in Indy.

I really loved the complexity of the Broadway show, and all that is lost on the touring production, but that being said, I like the tour. The small scale production works for this show, although some aspects of the set do look cheap.

One change that they made for Backwoods Barbie that I very much liked is having Judy walk away while Doarlee completes the song to herself. In the original it bothered me to watch Judy just standing there.

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 1/23/11 at 2:21pm

"Dee Hoty is a dead-ringer for Allison Janney"

Well they wear the same costumes, but calling her a "dead-ringer" is kind of an insult to 1 of musical theatre's most underrated and underused performers. I saw Ms. Hoty in Anything Goes and Mame here in to Seatle, and she was absolutely stunning. Looking forward to seeing her n 9 t0 5 but she's beyond her material. A true class act dame. One of a kind.

Updated On: 1/23/11 at 02:21 PM

[twinbelters]

Posted: 1/23/11 at 6:27pm

I loved Dee in The Will Roger's Follies which I saw on tour in Chicago as well.

[LuPonatic]

Posted: 1/30/11 at 9:02pm

Just saw this production today. Although it wasn't the best thing I have seen, I did enjoy it thoroughly. Somebody was on the ball when they decided to use Dolly as a narrator in the opener and closer. It was a very fun idea, IMO. And in the finale, when the Dolly projection actually sang a verse, I couldn't help but love it.

They cut "Always a Woman" out, which I was a little disappointed to see. They moved "Heart to Hart" to BEFORE the pot scene. She sings it in Hart's office instead of the bathroom. I thought the column set pieces were a smart way to make the tour fiscally feasible. It worked fine. It seems like a lot of choreography has changed. The opening is really different, but I'm sure it's because of the whole "Dolly's face on the big clock" thing. I did not like how they had a chorus of guys join in on "Here for You," they were unnecessary.

For the most part the cast was great! Dee Hoty is amazing, as is Mamie Parris. Mamie was truly miraculous during "Get Out and Stay Out." Diana was good, not great. Her voice got a little too annoying sometimes. She sings well, though, and looked good.

I would go see it again.

[LuPonatic]

Posted: 1/30/11 at 9:06pm

Oh and, although Kristine was VERY funny as Roz, she's a terrible singer, which made "Heart to Hart" and "5 to 9" unbearable at times. Super funny, though!

[grandpianoalex]

Posted: 1/30/11 at 10:18pm

Does anyone recall what merchandise they were selling?