Almost 30 years after starring in the movie "9 to 5" and writing its oscar winning theme song, Dolly Parton has re-written the movie for a stage musical! Dolly wrote 17 new songs for "9 to 5: The Musical". This is Dolly's first attempt at the Broadway stage. She said:
"I found it more enjoyable than I thought. You have more freedom than when you write a song ... usually it's a couple of verses and chorus and a bridge and you have to keep it down to about three minutes in order to get radio play."
Megan Hilty (a semi-popular Broadway actress) will play Dolly's role, Stephanie J. Block will be playing Jane Fonda's role, and Allison Janney (one of my favorite actresses) will play Lily Tomlins role.
The show will head to Broadway in March 2009, which is considered a mark of success for any musical. Still, Parton confessed to a case of nerves before the Los Angeles debut. However the show recieved RAVE reviews. The show opened at Los Angeles' Ahmanson Theatre on Saturday and went without a hitch. (The preview performance had a technical glitch between acts one and two, and in an effort to keep the audience interested, she got up from the first row and sang "I Will Always Love You" to the crowd -- which made them applaud and critics even shed a couple of tears.
A critic from The Hollywood Reporter writes: "The film always was a musical waiting to happen, and Parton has made the most of the opportunity. Her songwriting skills along with her desire to dazzle in whatever she does were made for Broadway. Parton (and her collaborators) have done a sensational job."
9 to 5: The Musical will follow on its run in L.A. at New York's Marquis Theater next spring. before heading to Broadway. We'll see you at the Tony's Dolly!
