9 to 5

Gratuitous Violins rating: *** out of ****

Before I saw 9 to 5, I knew that New York Times theatre critic Ben Brantley had written a pretty scathing review. After seeing it, I went back and reread what he wrote - he called 9 to 5 a "gaudy, empty musical."

I know that theatre fans can disagree and those passionate debates/arguments make the discussion interesting. But wow, did we see the same show?

I enjoyed 9 to 5 tremendously - it made me laugh and I think the story would resonate with anyone - male or female - who's ever felt unappreciated or mistreated on the job or passed over because they weren't "one of the boys."

Now, it's been years since I've seen the 1980 movie 9 to 5, - in fact, I probably haven't watched it since 1980. So I don't know how closely Patricia Resnick's book about three women trying to get the goods on their sexist boss hews to her screenplay but I'm guessing it's pretty close.

I loved Allison Janney as Violet Newstead, the sharp office manager who keeps things running but never gets credit for it. While I've seen her in a few movie roles, I only watched The West Wing a couple of times, so this really was my first introduction to the four-time Emmy winner and I thought she was terrific.

Stephanie J. Block is funny as the timid Judy Bernly, who's nervous about reentering the work force after a messy divorce. As the well-endowed and outgoing Doralee Rhodes, Megan Hilty is doing a Dolly Parton impression - but it's a darn fine Dolly Parton impression and I liked it.

And Marc Kudisch is great as the unscrupulous, womanizing boss Franklin Hart Jr. It must be a physically demanding role, too, because Hart spends much of the show in some pretty uncomfortable circumstances but Kudisch handles it well.

Speaking of Dolly Parton, I really enjoyed her score. Of course the title song, written for the movie, is great and I'm not sure there's anything else that's quite as memorable and catchy. But I liked Janney's big number, "One of the Boys," and the three women in their Act I finale, "Shine Like the Sun."

The one thing that disappointed me a bit was Andy Blankenbuehler's choreography. I admired his Tony-winning work for In the Heights, which was so vibrant and exciting. But here, it just seemed a bit generic, nothing special.

For me, movie-to-musical adaptations have been a mixed bag. Some, like Hairspray, I think are brilliant and some, like Young Frankenstein, have left me sitting there wondering what everyone else found so amusing.

Others are in the middle - maybe not groundbreaking but thoroughly enjoyable. And for me, 9 to 5 is in that category. I had a great seat - third row on the aisle, left orchestra. I wanted to sit back and have fun - and I did.

Sadly, 9 to 5 will close Sept. 6 but the producers are planning a tour beginning in 2010.

Fun and games on Broadway

In preparation for my upcoming trips to New York I've been scouring Broadway show Web sites:

Coolest download: Virtual Zippo lighter app for your iPhone at Rock of Ages. (Because you can never be too ready for a power ballad.)

Dumbest game: "Shoot your boss," at 9 to 5. I know it fits with the plot and all but isn't it a tad in poor taste?

Best use of video: Vblog entries from the cast of Hair are fun. The Easter Bonnet competition featuring the cast of 33 Variations doesn't tell you much about the show but it's very witty. Shrek's 10-part online video series on bringing the musical to Broadway is the most interesting and provides reasons to keep coming back to the site.

Best marketing slogan playing off a line from a song: Hair - We got merch, brother!

Best e-cards: Shrek, with their funny takeoffs on other Broadway shows.

Most unfortunate video trend: Watching scenes from plays without the sound. You can see a montage from God of Carnage, you just can't hear the actors. Instead, they play some background music. What's the point? At least Exit the King gives you a few lines of dialog before the montage.

Best blog: It's hard to beat Jane Fonda at 33 Variations. Although, strangely, I couldn't find a link to it on the show's site.

But I wish the two queens from Mary Stuart had kept up their blogging. Here's a sample from Mary, Queen of Scots: "I am in rehearsals for my upcoming trial. I am training hard as I suspect it will all be physically hard to endure. I have discovered protein shakes and they are helping me."

New York says hello to Dolly

Last month it was Arthur Laurents and now, New York magazine writer Jesse Green has turned his attention to Dolly Parton. Her musical 9 to 5 opens at Broadway's Marquis Theatre on April 30 and she comes across as very gracious and down to earth in this profile.

Green writes that the idea for a 9 to 5 musical came from Robert Greenblatt, of Showtime, who bought the rights to the 1980 movie. Parton sent Greenblatt a few sample songs and told him if they weren't right, she wouldn't be offended. He could hire another songwriter and still use her title tune.

(Of course, her songs turned out to be just fine, although I haven't heard any of them yet - except for "9 to 5," which I already knew.)

And this piqued my curiosity: She has an autobiographical Broadway show in the works.

But the funniest passage is when Green visits Dollywood, in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., and Parton's creative director, Steve Summers, tries to convince him to try some fried bologna:

“I eat your sushi when I’m in New York,” says Summers. Though I have ground my supply of Lipitor into a paste and swabbed it over myself as a shield against ambient cholesterol, I feel my defenses beginning to crack."

A double DVR alert for musical fans

Tomorrow, CBS has not one but two segments for musical theatre fans!

First up, at 9 a.m., is Sunday Morning with a feature on the Broadway revival of Hair, which opened last week to terrific reviews at the Hirschfeld Theatre.

"The 1960s musical, Hair, was revolutionary theater for its time, taking on the Vietnam War, environmental destruction and poverty. CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric speaks with the creators and cast of a Broadway revival that may seem tame by today's standards but still packs quite a punch."

Then at 7 p.m., 60 Minutes interviews Dolly Parton, who wrote the songs for the musical 9 to 5, which begins previews at Broadway's Marquis Theatre on Tuesday:

"Dolly Parton, the oh-so-country music superstar with the city-slicker sense of show business talks to Morley Safer about her childhood, her career and the Broadway production of her film, 9 to 5."

Here's a brief clip from the interview: (And football season's over, so you know it'll start on time!)

Marketing 9 to 5

I found an interesting tidbit buried in a New York Times story on viral marketing campaigns by Broadway musicals:

"Situation Interactive experimented with new technology in other campaigns as well. The firm worked with the producers of Billy Elliot to create videos that chronicled the rehearsals of the three boys who rotate as the lead character. For 9 to 5: The Musical, the firm is working on an online game in which players can upload pictures of their bosses for a shooting gallery."

Okay, my initial thoughts are:
1.) This sounds like it's in pretty poor taste.
2.) If you do participate, you probably don't want your boss to know.

Parton my caution

It's been years, maybe decades, since I've seen the 1980 comedy 9 to 5, about three working women who turn the tables on their odious boss. But I remember enough to know that it was smart and hilarious, with great performances from Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton. They made the movie memorable.

Of course I'm excited that the musical version, with songs by Parton, starts previews at Broadway's Marquis Theatre on March 24. I'm excited about every Broadway show, even the ones I know I probably won't get to see, even the ones that are just at the embryonic rumor stage and may never see the light of day.

But after being disappointed by some recent screen to stage efforts - I'm talking about you, Young Frankenstein and Cry-Baby - my optimism is a little tempered with caution this time around. Don't worry, it's not that I'm getting jaded or cynical. I haven't lost my wide-eyed sense of wonder when I walk through Times Square looking up at the giant billboards and posters advertising Broadway shows. And of course if I get the chance, I'd love to see 9 to 5.

It's just that the movie had three terrific actresses with very different personalities and talents playing three very distinct roles. In the musical, Allison Janney will play Tomlin's part, Stephanie J. Block is taking on Fonda's role and Megan Hilty will play Parton's role. I know Janney from the movies, but I wasn't a fan of The West Wing, so I never saw her on that tv series. Marc Kudisch will be their boss, a role played on screen by Dabney Coleman.

While I've heard of Block and Hilty, I've never seen them perform. And that's okay. Broadway is my first exposure to most of the actors I see on stage. I'd never heard of anyone in the cast of Spring Awakening before I saw it. Except for David Hyde Pierce, I'd never heard of anyone in Curtains. And I loved both of them. One of the best parts of seeing a show on Broadway is discovering all of these new performers.

But let's face it, fans of the movie who go see the musical are going to make the comparison. I'm not saying that Janney, Hilty and Block have to deliver cookie-cutter performances of their film counterparts. Of course I don't expect that. I realize the musical will be different, and they absolutely should make those roles their own. I simply don't know enough about the trio to say whether they'll be as funny, as memorable.

So this time around, I'm excited - but with a note of caution.