9 to 5: The Musical

The Walnut Street Theatre got an injection of girl power to kick off their 2014-2015 season this week as "9 to 5: The Musical" debuted with a bang. The stage adaptation of the '80s classic story of how three women working as secretaries in an office together decide to get back at their abusive, misogynist boss. The stage production, with lyrics and music written by original film star Dolly Parton, captures all of the hilarity of the film, and even finds a way to add a little more heart.

The show is nearly identical to the film, if slightly more rambunctious in its approach to the somewhat madcap fun being had in the storyline. While the film was very firmly sarcastic and somewhat dark humored, the stage translation lays its jokes out there in a bigger way, and usually in a much more animated fashion.

Violet is more openly disapproving and weary than Lily Tomlin's simmering rage. Doralee is a bit zanier and over the top than Dolly Parton's ol' country gal act. And if possible, Judy is even more timid than the hilariously restrained Jane Fonda was. But such a transition is common in theatre adaptations, and Parton's sense of humor and fun that she poured into the show makes it much more palatable than it could have been.

Parton's score and lyrics are both packed with her trademark ability to infuse heart and empathy into everyday activities. With her at the helm, redecorating an office isn't just a way to make your workspace more pleasant, but also an opportunity to better yourself and change what you don't like in your life.

Working isn't just a financial necessity for her characters, but a way of reclaiming the self-worth they lost in their various lives along the way to the 9-to-5 grind. If the film was mostly about empowerment, then this adaptation succeeded in improving upon the heart and emotion of its characters.

As for the production chops, the Walnut continued its usual standard of excellence in clean and well-executed presentation. The staging was busy without being cluttered and the frequent transitions were dazzlingly seamless. Similarly, the cast was packed with talent, from the ensemble through to the leads.

Paul Schoeffler was perfectly creepy and predatory for the Franklin Hart role, Ben Dibble shone during all of his all too infrequent stage moments as Violet's love interest Joe, and I would be remiss to not mention that Mary Martello as Roz absolutely stole the entire night with her hilarious and acrobatic love ode to her boss, Hart. But much like the film, the show really came down to the three ladies who starred in the show.

Broadway veteran Dee Hoty took the tall order of following Lily Tomlin and Allison Janney in the Violet role. She so perfectly combined the stern, warm and smart that the part called for that I didn't even think about her predecessors the entire show. And with predecessors like that, I would call that quite the feat.

Filling similarly big shoes was Amanda Rose in the Judy role. Stephanie J. Block, the originator of the role on Broadway, is a belter with a capital B and the songs were written as such. I can't say that Rose always rose to the occasion in terms of keeping up with the vocal demands, but her delivery was strong and clear, and really came through during the 11 o'clock showstopper, "Get Out And Stay Out." The audience roar after that song alone should signal her success in the role.

As for Amy Bodnar's Doralee, this may have been the one role that was slightly miscast. Bodnar's voice was astoundingly strong, regularly and easily rising to the top of the many huge ensemble numbers, and really knocking all of her showstopping moments to the back of the house. But her impression of Megan Hilty (the originator of the role) impersonating Dolly Parton came through sort of muddled and off-key. But there were more than enough parts of the show to love (Bodnar's laughs during the infamous weed smoking scene had me in tears) and she did more than a sufficient job with a role that was perhaps not best suited for her admirable abilities.

All in all, "9 to 5" was a dazzling, riot of a show bespoken with the charms of Parton's incredible songwriting and a showstopping cast able to handle the belty, if a bit fluffy, score. It doesn't achieve the eclipsing brilliance of other adaptations like "Hairspray," but it does a great deal to deepen the storyline and character development of one of the great film classics.

If you're looking for a night of theatre to get you laughing with plenty of sincerity and heart to boot, then head on down to the Walnut Street Theatre for this show.

"9 to 5: The Musical" runs through October 19 at the Walnut Street Theatre, 825 Walnut St in Philadelphia. For information or tickets, visit www.walnutstreettheatre.org.