Critic’s Corner: Acting, singing shine in ’9 to 5′ musical

The disembodied voice of Dolly Parton introduces and closes the Albuquerque Little Theatre production of the dated musical comedy “9 to 5.”

Parton’s recorded voice was muddy and wasn’t needed because Friday night’s opening performance of the production stood on its own. The acting was good, the dancing was decent and the singing fell into three categories – good, better and best.

The singing of Carolyn Hogan, who portrays single mom Violet Newstead, and the ensemble was OK; the singing of Stevie Nichols, who is soon-to-be-divorced Judy Bernly, was better; and the singing of Tahirih Garcia, as the far-from-home-in-Texas Doralee Rhodes, was the best.

	If you go “9 to 5″ The Musical WHEN: 2 p.m. today. Repeats Friday, Oct. 26-Oct. 28, Nov. 1-4 and Nov. 9-11 WHERE: Albuquerque Little Theatre, 224 San Pasquale SW HOW MUCH: $24 general public, $21 seniors, $18 students, $12 for those 12 and under at the ALT box office, by calling 242-4750 or by visiting www.albuquerquelittletheatre.org. Group rates for 10 or more. Season tickets are also available ADVISORY: Language

If Violet is the main focus in the story, Doralee takes the spotlight for the vocals. And listening to Garcia’s solos with the ensemble in “Backwoods Barbie,” “Cowgirl’s Revenge” and “Shine Like the Sun” were worth the price of admission.

She’s in a costume and a wig to resemble Parton, who played Doralee in the well-remembered 1980 film of the same name. Parton’s country-infused musical score adequately serves the stage musical.

The story is set in the office of a big-city corporation in the late 1970s. Violet is a longtime employee whose anticipated promotion to a job goes to a lesser-qualified male coworker. Doralee is thought by her coworkers to be sleeping with the boss, thanks to the boss’ rumor-mongering. Judy is a new hire who’s never used a typewriter. Remember typewriters?.

The three heroic secretaries eventually show their backbone. They team up against the sexist, jerky boss, Franklin Hart Jr. Art Tedesco as Hart maximizes his outlandish lines and physical humor.

The women seek justice by kidnapping Hart while running the company with such fairness that even the male coworkers rally around.

Meanwhile, the female troika learns the boss has been cooking the books. They hold that over Hart when he escapes captivity inside Judy’s bedroom. Hart states his case against his kidnappers, but he’s overruled by the company owner who sees the good the three women have done.

Joe Moncada’s costume design had a nifty ’70s flair and Colby Martin Landers’ set design – especially the tall boxes on wheels used as backdrops – was effective. Unfortunately, the tech crew’s moving the boxes to get ready for a scene drowned out part of a tender Garcia solo.
— This article appeared on page F2 of the Albuquerque Journal