Ariella Green Week 15: 9 to 5

 Ariella Green Week 15: 9 to 5

     In 2008, the movie, 9 to 5 was adapted by Dolly Parton to be performed on stage. Olympics Heights Community High School’s very own Troupe 4992 opened their show, 9 to 5 on February 11th and closing night will be February 14th. The musical is told from the perspective of three women (Violet, Judy, and Doralee) working in their horrible boss’s (Franklin Hart Jr) office in the 1970s. This show will have you laughing and hollering for the women as they conquer their challenges.

     The girl who portrayed Doralee was outstanding. She had the dialect down perfectly and the audience was able to understand her every word. Her costumes clearly exemplified her Southern Belle charm. The actress who played Violet captured Violet’s strength and persistence in a world that wants to swallow her whole. The audience clearly understood the change Judy underwent as she realized that she is much more than a wife. Franklin Hart Jr was played by a female and was fantastic,

especially in the song Here For You. Her comedic timing was perfect as well as the delivery of her character’s jokes. Roz demonstrated her character’s infatuation with Mr. Hart. Her dialect was unclear, but it worked well with her character. The ensemble overall was weak, but the unnamed characters who played an alcoholic and a fellow worker really stuck out because of how developed they were as characters. 

     The show’s set was constantly changing using three different types of cycs (backdrops). One of the backdrops was of an enlarged clock, an office, and a black backdrop with lights. In certain scenes, the cast would roll on desks to act as the office space, and a large desk with chairs to act as Mr. Hart’s office space. The best prop is the printer that would not spot releasing papers. A stage tech sat within the box rolling out the sheets during the scene. The leading ladies' costumes changed throughout the scenes to show that the time was passing. All of the office ladies' costumes represented the 70s, but the actor who played Judy’s ex-husband did not act as though he was from the 70s with his Adidas hoodie and joggers. The lighting was nothing major, but the spotlights used in certain songs like “Get Out and Stay Out” added to the dramatic moments. 

     It was an excellent choice to cast the role of Mr. Hart to a woman because it adds to the “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot” role. The choreography was cheesy in a bad way. It could have been improved had all the actors had clear and sharp movements. The singing was great, my only complaint was that the audience was hollering as many of the actors were finishing their songs. 

     The intention of the show was to prove that women are just as capable as men in the workforce. Women are more than just secretaries and have the potential to become the boss. The leading ladies were fabulous and strong, but the ensemble was weak which took away from the show.