LPAC delivers a winning ‘9 to 5’ to open season

LPAC delivers a winning ‘9 to 5’ to open season

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Photo by Jerahmeel James

Employees Doralee Rhodes (Anna Cappelli), Violet Newstead (Dalia Aleman) and Judy Bernly (Caiti Marlowe) express themselves in LPAC’s production of 9 to 5.

 

By AARON KRAUSE

Broadway at LPAC’s engaging and believable professional production of 9 to 5 is a fitting tribute to country music legend Dolly Parton, who recently turned 79.  Indeed, the production would have probably impressed Parton, who creatively appears via recorded video to narrate the show’s beginning and end.

You may recall that Parton co-starred in the humorous 1980 origin film with the same title. Specifically, she portrayed Doralee Rhodes in the movie, which also starred Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, and Dabney Coleman. But Broadway at LPAC’s production of the stage musical adaptation, which runs through Feb. 2 at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center (LPAC), boasts its own stars. They comprise a 23-performer cast of triple threats who disappear into their roles and leave us wanting more, under Michael Ursua’s sensitive direction. The production runs roughly two hours and 10 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission.

In addition to co-starring in the film, Parton composed the award-nominated live show’s music and lyrics. Patricia Resnick created the musical’s lively book, based on her screenplay with Colin Higgins for the original film.

The musical premiered on Broadway in 2009 and closed later that year following 148 regular performances. But it deserved a longer run. Indeed, while the show is not ground breaking, settles for easy laughs, and lacks depth, the piece is relatable, funny at times, and the music is stirring if not always memorable.

The movie’s fans will be glad to know that the stage musical is faithful to the film and retains Parton’s toe tapping title song. Also, the setting of 1979 is the same, inside a typical company’s office in an unnamed city.

The live show, like the movie, introduces us to the company’s workers, especially Violet, Judy, and Doralee (Dalia Aleman, Caiti Marlowe, and Anna Cappelli). They plan to get revenge on their sexist, egotistical boss, Franklin Hart, Jr. (Clay Cartland), who constantly disrespects them.  At one point, Hart pushes the women too far. And, so, they kidnap him and tie him up in his own house while his wife is vacationing.  In Hart’s absence, Violet, Judy, and Doralee try to improve the company’s work environment. Predictably, all live happily ever after.

9 to 5 is a female empowering show. Certainly, it feels timely during an age in which misogynists such as Donald J. Trump and Elon Musk are in charge. The show stands up not only for women, but “the little guy” (or little gal). In other words, the show clearly sides with your average working person who must feed and care for his or her family and pay the bills, as well as taxes.

Certainly, you should be able to relate to Violet, for instance. She is trying her best to provide for herself and her easygoing teenage son, Josh (a loose and relaxed Jay Hendrix) without her husband’s support. Speaking of him, the show’s creators lead us to believe that Violet’s husband and Josh’s father, an offstage character, is unsupportive and neglectful. But Violet has caught someone else’s eye, namely, employee Joe (a sweet and sincere-sounding Michael Stafford).

In addition to Violet, another relatable character is Judy. She is a newbie at the company whose ex-husband, Dick (a repentant Tanner Fults) is having an affair with a younger woman, his secretary. Dick returns to ask Judy for a second chance.

In the live show, Judy becomes a stronger character than she was in the film. That is partly because in the play, she tells her ex-husband off through the powerful song, “Get Out and Stay Out.”

Judy sings:

I wonder what you’ll do when I am not around
Now that your new love has up and let you down
You’ve always come crying to me throughout the years
To mend another broken heart, to dry your selfish tears.
So get out and stay out, I’m moving on at last
Oh, I’ve been so foolish, but that was in the past.
I never thought I’d be the one to say goodbye
You get out and stay out, I’m taking back my life

Marlowe sings the number in a believably resolute tone. Clearly, this woman has had enough of her husband’s shenanigans, and she is taking back her life.

In a strong performance, Marlowe’s Judy starts out convincingly insecure yet hopeful. But as the show progresses, she gains confidence slowly, almost unnoticeably, while maintaining that sense of hope. Marlowe is a performer with expressive dark eyes and strong voice. Impressively, the performer holds a note for several seconds while singing “Get Out and Stay Out” without losing vocal control or clarity.

Cappelli, the performer portraying Doralee (Parton played her in the film), also gets her chance to shine in the limelight. Specifically, the character sings “Backwoods Barbie,” to describe how people have misunderstood her during her simple country upbringing.

Cappelli’s Doralee sings the song without appearing to feel sorry for herself. Instead, she convinces us that she really believes that “I might look artificial, but where it counts, I’m real. And I’m all dolled up and hoping for a chance to prove my worth.”

It does not take long for Cappelli’s Doralee to convince us that this woman is hardly a stereotypical “dumb blonde.” Instead, she is a sincere, resilient, and spirited soul with an optimistic attitude, charismatic demeanor, and a zest for life.

Aleman, a polished performer who has played several moms onstage, plays another one here. Aleman shines as Violet, injecting her with grace, dignity, a caring nature, as well as confidence (but not arrogance) and ambition without crossing over into obsession. Aleman’s Violet is also assertive when she needs to be without seeming mean or domineering. Truly, you feel for Aleman’s Violet when she panics after believing she poisoned her boss.

To their credit, the show’s creators do not appear to condone the employees’ extreme reaction to their boss’s insensitivity. Rather, they make us laugh and perhaps ponder how far we would go to right a wrong or injustice. Three of the show’s songs allow the characters to fantasize how they would exact revenge on Hart. The noirish “The Dance of Death,” the country/western-flavored “Cowgirl’s Revenge,” and the enchanting, fairy tale-like “Potion Notion” are theatrical delights. And this cast performs them with just the right tone and ambience.

As Cartland portrays Hart, he is clearly the piece’s antagonist. It is hard to find any redeeming qualities in this man, as this talented performer portrays him. But to his credit, Cartland avoids turning Hart into a melodramatic, cartoonish villain, complete with exaggeratingly lowered eyebrows, a menacing scowl, and a thunderous voice. Instead, Cartland’s Hart is more subtle, with a mocking sarcasm, arrogance, playfulness, and primitive sexuality.

Strangely, Hart looks like Peter Pan flying over the audience in one scene. After the women abduct Hart, they tie him up in his own house and Hart rises in the air, held up by perhaps a rope. Visually, it is a striking scene, but it seems out of place in a realistic show such as 9 to 5.

If anyone cares about Hart, it is the office’s gossip queen and snitch, Roz Keith. In fact, she seems obsessed with Hart, but it is an unrequited relationship. With glasses perched on the edge of her nose under a head of darkish hair, Britte Steele, as Roz, looks a bit like Tracy Turnblad. But Steele’s Roz is hardly all bubbly like the heroine of Hairspray. Rather, Steele’s Roz imparts a mixture of tension, nerdiness, and obsession, giving the character a unique if odd brand of eccentricity.

Musically, recorded tracks accompany the performers, who also deftly execute choreographer Alex Jorth’s choreography. The styles of dancing in the show tend to mirror the action. For instance, the dancing is primitive like during a scene between the macho men.

While the performers triumph, so, too, do the artists backstage. Gateway Playhouse has provided realistic scenery to stand for the employees’ work space, as well as Hart’s office and other locations. While most of the scenery is realistic and period specific, it is curious why the production does not use real books in Hart’s office.

Music Theatre Wichita and Costume World provided the character-defining period costumes, Lowell Richards designed the atmospheric lighting, and Christopher Wynter ably designed the sound. Fortunately, we can not only hear but understand the performers.

Before the show starts, the curtain is open. After we walk into the theater, we see a mostly dark stage except for windows lit with colored lighting, each with their own color. It is not entirely clear what these windows stand for, but they are visually interesting. Happily, this entire production keeps our eyes and ears riveted to the stage. Again, Parton would be proud.

 

Photo by Jerahmeel James

Roz Keith (Britte Steele) obsesses over Franklin Hart, JR. in LPAC’s production of 9 to 5.

 

IF YOU GO

WHO: Producers ACM Theatricals, The Lauderhill Performing Arts Center, and The City of Lauderhill

WHAT: 9 to 5 The Musical

WHEN: Through Feb. 2. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, as well as 2 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

WHERE: The Lauderhill Performing Arts Center, 3800 N.W. 11th Place in Lauderhill.

TICKETS: $45-$65. Call (954) 777-2055 or go to https://www.lpacfl.com

 

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