Review: “9 to 5: The Musical” at The Barn Theatre

The Barn Theatre

There are some shows that make a return because what was funny decades ago becomes newly funny in sometimes painfully ironic ways.

The Augusta Barn opens the live portion of its diamond anniversary with Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5: The Musical.” Based on the movie from 1980, it would play like a period piece if the #metoo movement weren’t around to remind us that many of the issues raised in a comedic fashion still plague women in today’s workforce.

The musical follows the tribulations of three employees of Consolidated Industries who must deal with their sexist, bigoted boss, Franklin Hart Jr. While each has very different backgrounds, they are drawn together by their mutual mistreatments at his hands.

In addition to the #metoo movement, this musical feels newly relevant as its star vehicle—Dolly Parton-- has been again in the news because she donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to fund three pandemic-related research projects, including the one that eventually helped develop the Moderna vaccine.

The Barn Theatre’s production runs from July 6-18 and celebrates its 75th season with three audience favorites in four of the lead roles.

Penelope Alex, the Barn’s beloved leading lady, and the woman constantly at work behind the scenes, plays Violet Newstead, the widowed manager who keeps Consolidated running but can’t get a promotion because Hart insists that customers want to deal with men, not women. This season is Alex’s 35th with the company.

Melissa Cotton Hunter is back for her 10th season with the Barn as Doralee Roberts, the Dolly Parton character and Hart’s personal assistant. Isolated from the others, she is constantly having to fend off unwanted advances from Hart who couldn’t care less that she is happily married.

Hart is played by one of the Barn’s favorite guest stars—Robert Newman. Newman had a 28-year run with “Guiding Light,” but his first appearance at the Barn was 40 years ago, as an understudy to Tom Wopat in Carousel. In the past several years, the Barn has become his theatrical home.

The fourth lead, Kayla Gerogosian, is making her Augusta Barn debut as a first-year apprentice from Kent State University’s musical theater program. She plays the role of Judy Bernly, a middle-aged woman entering the workforce for the first time after her husband dumped her for his 19-year-old secretary.

It’s a high-energy musical focused on comedy, even as it deals with serious issues. The musical, which was first staged in 2008, is filled with fun references to the 1970s and 1980s. These winks to the audience range from the women’s excitement over soon-to-be-released electric typewriters to Violet’s ahead-of-her-time ideas foreshadowing iconic moments to come.

Patrick Hunter directs with his wife (and the actor playing Doralee) doing the choreography. Patrick Hunter carried out a vision designed to delight audiences who have spent too long away from a theater. Likewise, Melissa Cotton Hunter’s choreography had the ensemble providing excellent backdrops with stage pictures that constantly reinforced the humor and heart of the show.

Alex continues to show why she is the Barn’s leading lady. While the musical often leans toward caricature, her Violet never does. She manages to bring realism to even the most outrageous scenes. Violet is a woman with dreams and frustrations, someone who is easy to root for because no matter how hard-edged Violet’s 15 years at Consolidated has made her, Alex is able to root out the kindness and intelligence.

Melissa Cotton Hunter’s Doralee also resists falling back on Dolly Parton impersonations. Yes, it is easy to see the country-western star in the role, but Doralee is her own person, a “backwoods Barbie” who gets hurt when the others snub her. Like Alex, she brings intelligence to the role and a strength that makes it clear why Doralee has been able to resist Hart’s advances so far.

Gerogosian manages to hold her own on stage with these two powerhouse actors, bringing a charm to Judy and, more importantly, giving her an arc along which she is able to grow from mouse to lion. Each step is believable and Gerogosian makes Judy imminently sympathetic.

Newman, on the other hand, excels at making his character despicable. He leans into the bigoted behavior that is necessary to make “9 to 5” work and provides the three women with the villain that they need. He is especially entertaining to watch when he plays a role in the women’s revenge fantasies.

In a featured part as Hart’s administrative assistant Roz Keith, Eliza Knode (who is pursuing a BFA in musical theater at the University of Miami) was always fun to watch. She went from being the spying toady to the sex-starved devotee in ways that were always fun.

Steven Lee Burright’s set was adaptable to accommodate quickly changing scenes. The lit columns were an especially artistic touch with lights and colors that evoked the period. He also did a stellar job with Hart’s office that had décor infused with the same over-soaked testosterone that its occupant had.

On opening night, there were some technical challenges. The sound mix was off. The ensemble’s microphones were often louder than the leads. It was also sometimes hard to hear the leads over the band.

The costuming and makeup was a mixed bag. On one hand, Melanie Wehrmacher pulled together an incredible collection of late 70s office apparel, and Wig Designer Garrylee McCormick did a great job of capturing the period. The leading women were given several outfit changes that helped narrate the passage of time.

The script, however, made several references to Doralee being very different in specific physical ways and in her dress and makeup from the other women in the office. It was something that Patrick Hunter played up in ways appropriate to the story at various times. However, the actor’s makeup, endowment, and clothing were not significantly different from any of the other women on stage. It’s something that could have been addressed with costuming responsive to the script.

On the whole, “9 to 5” played to the strengths of The Barn Theatre, a fitting launch to their 75th anniversary season.