By L. McClane
Amelia Community Theatre opens “9 to 5: The Musical” on August 11 on the main stage at 207 Cedar Street. Based on the popular movie, the show features a cast of 14 and more than 30 musical numbers, with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton and book by Patricia Resnick.
Set in 1979, the musical comedy highlights the office culture of the 1970s, with gender pay gaps, unfair promotions and sexual harassment, subtle and otherwise. Jane Fonda had the original idea for the movie with the intent of showing that an office could be run without a boss, but not without the secretaries.
In the show, employees Violet, Doralee, and Judy are thrown into a challenging situation, and they decide to make some changes at their office. But first, they have to keep their boss away from work, even if it does mean confining him to his own house.
Dolly Parton wrote the Grammy award-winning theme song “9 to 5” on the movie set and set the beat by using her long fingernails to simulate the sound of a typewriter. The stage adaptation of the show opened on Broadway in 2009.
ACT’s production is directed by Stephen Carver, with Devin Clevenger as musical director, Krista Carver as choreographer, and Geoffrey Moss as scenic and technical designer.
Regina Torres as Violet, Courtney Russell as Doralee, and Heather Starling as Judy are joined by Devin Clevenger as their boss, and Oscar Acosta, Joan Averett, Billy Hulsey, Menla Hulsey, Jennifer Janess, Jimmy Kalista, Martha McDowell, Elliot Miller, Ron Price, and Peggy Strickland.
Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on August 11-12, 17-19, 24-26 and at 2 p.m. on August 13 and 20. Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for students, available at www.ameliacommunitytheatre.org and by calling 904-261-6749. The box office is open for walk-ups from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Wednesdays through Fridays and 90 minutes before curtain on show dates.