9 to 5 The Musical

Based on the 1980 film of the same name, with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton the show tells the story of three city secretaries who get even, with a vengeance, with their chauvinist boss Mr Hart. The show does become more than a little far-fetched as it progresses but it is a fun evening with absolutely no pretence to be anything else.

As is often the case with shows based on a film there are almost constant scene changes and the crew (and cast) managed the myriad changes smoothly and efficiently so we were whisked from office to bedroom and back again with little or no down-time, and quietly and efficiently. 

The sound balance was generally good – I did find the whole thing a little loud for my comfort, and one slight concern being that, as the orchestra were so loud it was necessary to turn up the volume on the mics which I felt distorted the sound from the singers on a couple of occasions.  Also on a couple of occasions mics were turned on just a little too late meaning we missed the first half dozen or so words. 

Congratulations on the costumes too, by and large they looked really good but a little more attention to detail would have made them superb – for example (in my opinion) Doralee’s boots did not go with the dress and to me did not look as if they were the right time line.  (I only mention them as, for some reason, they really seemed to draw my eye).  On a personal note, I would have liked to see the robes that the ladies wore during the ‘pot’ scene, covering completely the costumes which they were wearing in readiness for the next scene.  Whilst speaking of costumes – some great quick changes with no down time.

My most sincere congratulations to the director, Kriss Hubbard, for not insisting on the thick America accent which seems to be the accepted ‘norm’ for this show.  The result being that we heard and understood almost every word, which in turn meant that the humour and pure ‘good fun’ could be fully appreciated by the audience – and appreciate it they certainly did.

I also want to thank Kriss – and indeed the whole cast, for a really excellent ‘team production’.  Every single part appeared to me to have been perfectly cast from the tiny cameo roles of a couple of lines to the major principals, all were played with the requisite energy and enthusiasm. Congratulations also to the minor principals for making their characters individuals with totally believable relationships.  The remainder of the chorus were excellent too – lots of big smiles and enthusiasm by the bucket-load.  In my opinion the ‘major’ principals were all individually good, both singing and acting, but what made them stand out was the way they, and indeed the whole cast, gelled the individuals into characters then went on to make the relationships with other characters totally believable – despite the fairly unbelievable plot.    

This is not my favorite show – but I thoroughly enjoyed the whole evening – it was great theatre, great entertainment and came across as a real team effort.  Congratulations to every single person involved for a wonderful entertaining evening of theatre, fun and enjoyment.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.