Bethany Cox plays Doralee in Novato Theater Company’s “9 to 5: The Musical.” (Kara Schutz via Bay City News)
By Woody Weingarten, Bay City News
It was nearly impossible in 1980 to leave a movie theater screening “9 to 5” without singing Dolly Parton’s hit title tune. In 2025, it’s nearly impossible to leave the Novato Theater Company without singing or at least humming that same song.
The madcap film comedy, a cult classic set in the late 1970s, had a stellar cast, including Parton, due to unrevealed health issues), Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dabney Coleman.
The NTC musical can’t compete with Hollywood’s star power, of course, but it can equal the amount of pleasure the fast-paced, zany show delivers.
“9 to 5: The Musical,” with added music and lyrics by Parton, debuted on Broadway in 2009. Its wire-thin plot adhered to the film fantasy by Patricia Resnick, who adapted her original screenplay for the stage. A trio of working women daydream about getting revenge on the villain, their disrespectful, lecherous boss, Franklin Hart Jr. Under the influence of cannabis called Maui Wowee decide to kidnap and tie him up.
How does a throwback view of women’s place in the business world compare with today’s? One 18-year-old theatergoer in the workforce overheard after Sunday’s matinee performance said “not that much has changed. Men still make sexual comments all the time — and brag about sleeping with somebody when they haven’t.”
L-R, Lauren Sutton-Beattie and Andrea Thrope appear in Novato Theater Company’s production of “9 to 5: The Musical.” (Kara Schutz via Bay City News)
Andrea Thrope plays Violet Newstead (the Tomlin role), an angry long-timer passed over for a promotion; Bethany Cox portrays Doralee Rhodes (the Parton role), Hart’s sexy target (with long blond hair piled as high as Parton’s and almost as tall as Rebel Wilson’s in a current TV commercial spoof); and Lauren Sutton-Beattie plays Judy Bernly, (the Fonda role), the newbie secretary.
All three are noteworthy actors with robust voices that allow the lyrics to shine through in the bouncy, breezy community theater production. Also noteworthy are the rubber-faced comic chops displayed by show-stopping Amy Dietz as Roz Keith,who hounds Hart ever more than he pursues female flesh.
In the recent weekend performance, Larry Williams handled the role of Hart, a skirt looker-upper and bottom-pincher, with aplomb. Pat Barr portrays the sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot boss in remaining performances.
Costumes designer Adriana Gutierrez provide wondrously eye-popping attire (such as pouring Violet into playful, colorful, Snow White outfit) and keyboard player Nick Brown conducted the just-offstage band with mastery, keeping members of the sold-out audience tapping their toes.
Board president Marilyn Izdebski, who also dons hats as choreographer, program co-designer, and producer, proved the old chestnut that if you want jobs done well, give ‘em to the busiest person around.
9 to 5: The Musical will run at the Novato Theater Company, 1520 Nave Drive, Novato, through Oct. 12. Tickets: $25 to $37. Information: info@novatotheatercompany.org or 415-883-4498.
This article was first published on LocalNewsMatters.org, a nonprofit site supported by Bay City News Foundation http://www.baycitynews.org/contact/.
Sherwood “Woody” Weingarten, a longtime voting member of the San Francisco Bay Area Theater Critics Circle and the author of four books, can be contacted by email at voodee@sbcglobal.net or on his websites, https://woodyweingarten.com and https://vitalitypress.com.
