The first thing that pops into my mind when I think of “9 to 5” is of course, Dolly Parton’s movie from 1980. I was very curious about how this movie could be turned into a play and how they could capture the essence of the original film. The Cal State Bakersfield theatre department did an amazing job at making the musical very entertaining to see on stage and enticing different generations into one room to enjoy the show.
Production pamphlet. (Alyssia Correa)
The play centers around three main characters, Violet, Judy and Doralee as they navigate their job in the workplace where men’s opinions and existence are valued more than women’s. Even if they have good ideas, their male boss, Mr. Hart, gets the credit and praise while they continue to serve him in the workplace. With the production being a musical, expect many performances of the popular soundtrack throughout the play.
The song performances were amazing to see until the ensemble numbers came up. While the solo performances were delivered very well, the coordination with choreography within a group got a little too messy to the point where it was distracting. This was mostly during the first half however, by the second half it was a little more cleaned up.
The whole theme of sexism within the workplace was not shoved in our faces, but rather it left us rooting for the main protagonists and growing a sense of discontent for the boss himself. I feel like the message was made into a comedy that was easy to digest. When something unfair happens to a woman within the workplace in the play, we end up rooting for the girls to get justice for themselves.
This play is a satirical comedy, and the comedy aspect of the production is very well executed. The presentation of the characters was done in an effective way and showed us the contrast between the personalities of the three main characters. Doralee, played by Emily Driscoll, was super country and Driscoll had me believing she was really from Texas! The portrayal of Mr. Hart, played by Sebastian Richardson, was funny and over the top and it had me hating him as the antagonist.
The production included a live band playing all the music throughout the play that did the original songs justice. There were some points where the band was louder than the singing on stage, but this was a rare occurrence. I give respect to all of the band members that participated in this production since there were so many songs they had to run through for the 2-hour duration.
I interviewed a couple of audience members and asked them whether or not they liked the play and why. Ben Higginbottom goes to Bakersfield College and comes to see his friend Casey play the character of Joe in the production.
“I loved everything. From the acting, the singing, the band of course is perfect,” said Higginbottom.
Lisa also a Bakersfield College student came to see Casey as well. “The band was really good. I love a live band!”
Cheyenne Mitchell, a CSUB student, came to the production as part of an assignment. She said, “Their acting and their singing is amazing. Their voices and the band just work really well. It’s very good harmony and unity, so it’s really amazing.”
It is safe to say that CSUB’s theatre department succeeded in portraying “9 to 5” in an entertaining way that was fun for the audience. The singing was awesome for the solo performances, but there were some points where the ensemble seemed to lose their flow. Overall, this performance was a lot of fun to attend.