9 to 5: The Musical

Comments (0) By Margaret Downing Thursday, Nov 11 2010

The first time Mamie Parris and her co-stars had a complete run-through of 9 to 5: The Musicalwas opening night in Nashville. Dolly Parton, who personally approved Parris for the role of Judy, and a slew of celebrities were in the audience. "We'd attempted a dress run-through the night before, and a set piece got hitched up and we had to stop and untangle things," Parris says, laughing.

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Most people are familiar with the movie starring Jane Fonda as Judy, Dolly Parton as Doralee and Lily Tomlin as Violet, three hardworking women who have a stinker for a boss. Parris says audiences will still find the basic storyline, but the show has gone through considerable changes since its Broadway run that go beyond just cutting a song and a little bit of tightening. "I think it's a little more elaborate of a revision than most shows see when they go on tour." So many people were involved in putting the original show together that maybe there were too many cooks, Parris notes, adding, "They did have sort of an identity issue trying to figure out what the show really was."

Parris credits director Jeff Calhoun with sorting things out and mounting a show that's authentic and cohesive - not to mention extremely enjoyable. 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8 p.m Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sundays. Through November 21. Hobby Center, 800 Bagby. For information, call 713-315-2400 or visit www.tuts.com. $24 to $104.
Tuesdays-Sundays. Starts: Nov. 9. Continues through Nov. 21, 2010