Review: 9 TO 5 Takes Center Stage at Carrollwood Players Theatre

“Tumble out of bed, and I stumble to the kitchen, pour myself a cup of ambition, and yawn and stretch and try to come to life. Jump in the shower and the blood starts pumpin’, out on the street the traffic starts jumpin’, with folks like me on the job from nine to five...”

9 to 5: The Musical is a stage adaptation of the 1980 film of the same name, featuring music and lyrics by Dolly Parton. This outlandish musical comedy features a book by Patricia Resnick, and is based on the screenplay by Resnick and Colin Higgins.

The stage adaptation made its debut in Los Angeles in September 2008 and opened on Broadway in April 2009.  Garnering 15 Drama Desk Award Nominations (A Record Setting number for any year) and 4 Tony Award Nominations, the musical survived a short shelf-life, closing in September of 2009. A US National Tour launched shortly thereafter in 2010, and made its UK Premiere in 2012.

The musical’s early development included the casting of Stephanie J. Block, Allison Janney, Megan Hilty, Tracey Ullman, Norm Lewis, Marc Kudisch, Bebe Neuwirth, and Andy Karl.  Following its premiere in Los Angeles in 2008, the musical hit a rough patch, with a lawsuit being filed by the estate of Colin Higgins against Higgins’ attorney, citing “failure to secure Mr. Higgins’ stage rights for the project, and other issues.”

Previews took place at the Marquis Theatre April 7, 2009, citing an official opening of April 30th. Joe Mantello helmed its Broadway transfer with a cast featuring Megan Hilty, Allison Janney, Stephanie J. Block, Marc Kudisch, and Andy Karl. The production closed in September following 24 previews and 148 regular performances.

The cast and crew of Carrollwood Players take on an ambitious production with their current mounting of 9 to 5: The Musical.

Featuring a cast of 19, the folks at Carrollowood Players mount an energetic production featuring technical elements rarely seen on such an intimate stage, and choreography that explodes from edge to edge of the proscenium. With comedic moments that will leave you in hysterics, there are many things to enjoy about Carrollwood’s latest endeavor. Showing that when the chips are down, true heart, and teamwork conquer all.

The interesting thing about 9 to 5: The Musical, is not necessarily the music, or the outlandish, and often over-the-top jokes, but rather the heart of the story. In the story admist the jokes and Dolly Parton songs is the human struggle of women striving to succeed in the workplace, making it in a man’s world in a time that most of us remember. Women fought for so long for equal rights in the workplace, and the antics displayed here, show that there is power in numbers, and it’s a woman’s right to achieve success at any point in her life.

This film, and subsequent stage adaptation happened long before the #MeToo movement, so it takes its place in history, and allows for the relevancy of the jokes to still be very real no matter the climate. Oftentimes, jokes don’t age well, and more times than not adjustments have to be made to the script to reflect current revivals and such; however, the jokes here, reflect real workplace contrition and land as hard truths, which makes the moment even more compelling. Looking back, it’s hard to believe where society was then, and how in the world we allowed such situations to exist.

Director Thomas Pahl, directs with a swift and keen eye to detail, making sure everything is in place, timing is done well, and no stone is left unturned. It is in his capable hands that we see smooth transitions, and clean scenic change elements, with expert pacing.

Thomas pulls the most out of his company of performers, and they are full of heart.

Leading the company are the 3 women making up the heart of our story. Natalie Whitlock as Doralee Rhodes, Kristy Pike as Violet Newstead, and Charis Lavoie as Judy Bernly.

Natalie Whitlock delivers some wonderful vocal moments as our “Backwoods Barbie” of the show. Full of stage presence, Natalie delivers a knock-out performance. I think the thing most compelling in her performance is the moments of contention between her and  the other women of the workplace. Her nonverbal moments are so compelling, knowing she could burst at the seams at any moment.

Charis Lavoie is wonderful as Judy Bernly. From the moment of her first entrance to the standout moment in her dream sequence, she delivers an exceptional performance. Her vocal standout moment of the night lies late in Act 2 with “Get Out and Stay Out.” Her moments with Violet and Doralee are wonderful to watch, and show true friendship in the workplace.

Kristy Pike delivers a tour-de force of a performance as Violet Newstead. From her incredible stage presence to her exceptional vocal moments, she is truly in her element. She’s quick on her feet both in dialogue delivery, and lightning fast costume changes, and her stick-it-to the man delivery is top tier. She wins the award for standout performance of the night, and in her Carrollwood Debut a stunning turn for sure. Her “One of the Boys,” and  “Let Love Grow,” are just two of the exceptional vocal moments she delivers in the show.

As Roz Keith, Jen Martin delivers a comedic home run. Always in the moment, and her back and forth with the girls is hilarious to watch. Her comedic performance is doubled down by the fact that she looks like Edna “E” Mode from The Incredibles, milling about the work room which ups the ante on the hysterics. Always at the top of her game, Jen Martin will leave you laughing till your sides hurt. Her standout vocal moment of the night goes to “Heart to Hart,” and her delivery is perfect in every way.

Paul Gillispie is as sinister and snake-like as they come. His Franklin Hart Jr., amps up the seadiness of the character. His antics will make your blood boil, and he is the perfect villain to the story. Franklin Hart is a greaseball of a character who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Paul’s stage presence and delivery prove to be a “lightning in a bottle,” type find for Carrollwood Players. His vocal moments are impressive and his back and forth with the woman he employs is so well delivered it will make your skin crawl.

In our Supporting Cast, Taylor Yepes (Dwayne), Jonathan Virga (Dick), Kore Trotti (Tinsworthy), Julia Rose Santiago (Maria), Jacob Salb (Bob Enright), Seamus Ruth (Josh), Brie Nestler (Missy), Lisa M. Chase (Margaret), Tony Capizzi (Joe), and Emma Beekman (Kathy), each provide wonderful stage presence and heart to help push the story forward. Each has standout moments both vocally in song and dialogue that breathe life into a very sexist-natured story, and are wonderful additions to the company.

Rounding out our Ensemble is Alli Thomas, Kristin Nelson, Teresea Castellano, and Zane Sarsour. Each bringing full heart to the choreography and group vocal moments. I think the most compelling thing about the ensemble is that each one has a backstory, and you can see it in their performance, giving them more root and a grounded presence to the story. Wonderful job by all involved.

From a Technical Standpoint, the Crew of Carrollwood Players stands out from recent endeavors as a company proving to pull out technical stops rarely, if ever, seen on the intimate stage. From the use of a Murphy-bed type situation, to a projection screen and a photocopier spitting out paper, Thomas Pahl and his crew pull out all the stops.

Stage Manager Jessica Duncan guides the pacing of the show, and the swiftest scene changes ever to grace the Carrollwood stage with the help of her stagehands Crystal Marie, Liana Lemus and Lily Sanford. Timing is impeccable here and they should be commended for a job well done.

Krista Virga’s Scenic design works well for the intimate space and allows the pace of the show to move along without a hitch. The use of the Murphy-Bed is a nice touch.The paint is flat and leaves nothing to the imagination, but in a Corporate Office one wouldn’t expect much less.

Kristin Schricker and Nathalie Baker’s costumes work well for the time period for the most part, and each character has their own unique personality traits. There are a few pieces not necessarily reminiscent of the time-period, but can be easily overlooked. Kristin Nelson’s wigs are appropriately used to hide modernized hairstyles of the performers, but each wig need some sprucing and setting prior to being worn. I think the hardest one to look past was the wig worn by Doralee, I get the need to resemble Dolly, however, finding a more flattering wig that complements the actress wearing it, would come across more natual and less doll-like. There is a way to accomplish the ultimate vision while complementing the performer’s attributes and still staying true to the original character.

Thomas Pahl’s props work well here, and the use of the photocopier was a wonderful addition. Everything from the typewriters to the phones on the set, were carefully planned out and executed brilliantly, fitting for the time period and the story.

Todd J. Weiner’s Lighting Design helped complement areas of the story using both colorful wash and full light. Allowing for stark contrast from dramatic to full office light, and working cohesively to help propel the story forward. Thomas Pahl’s Sound Design is included in his many hats he wears here, a sort of Rennaisance Man of sorts. His Sound Design worked well here and the use of the projector in both Opening and closing was a great addition.

Zachary Smith does fine work with Musdic Direction here, getting the most out of his performers. There are times when blending is an issue, and that could be nerves, so it can be slightly overlooked. Solo moments were wonderfully displayed here and allowed each performer to shine. Canned music or music set to tracks is very unforgiving, the only thing I would say is that volume level should be raised, because even in the back of the audience, the music itself became hard to hear at points, especially in large group numbers.

Elsie Michelle Mendez does her best with the Choreography and pulls the most out of the performers. There are times where some of the Choreography on display is messy and at times out of sync with others on stage, unsure if that was nerves or timing. When Choreographing one should think about the full picture and not just an explosion of dance, but rather what gives each character the purpose to move in which they do at a particular moment in time.

The Company of Performers and Crew behind the scenes of Carrollwood’s latest mounting of 9 to 5: The Musical, is as I said above an energetic and ambitious undertaking, full of heart. The musical comedy can be seen onstage through June 21, 2025.  So come and take a journey back to 1975, where the workplace looked and felt a lot different than our current climate. Allow yourself to fall in love with this musical comedy all over again, and take a break from your current “9 to 5.” Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.carrollwoodplayers.org.

Director Thomas Pahl sums it up best in his Director’s Notes about takeaways from this show by saying,

“...I also hope that you take its message to heart and that we really appreciate all that women can and do achieve in this world and that they are able to achieve their goals in life, whatever they are.”

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