My mom and I attended the opening of 9 to 5: the Musical last night at the Toronto Centre for the Arts.
Seeing as I'm missing Pride this weekend (more details on my alternate plans later), 9 to 5 seemed an appropriate replacement activity to exercise my gayness.
It also proved to be a delightful couple hours of light entertainment.
For those (like me) who havent' seen the 1980 movie of the same name, the story follows three women out to prove themselves in the workplace in the 70s.
Violet strives to prove her abilities to her jerk of a boss; Judy strives to prove she can be independent, after her husband leaves her for his secretary; and Doralee, a role originated by Dolly Parton, strives to prove to her colleagues she's more than blonde hair and big boobs.
Naturally, I related most to Doralee, as time and time again I have to convince people to look beyond my distractingly good looks and take me seriously as a person.
The trio of leads really shone, through comedic and poignant moments, where I found myself rallying behind 'Girl Power' for not the first time in my life.
Former American Idol finalist Diana DeGarmo portrayed Doralee with incredible likeness to Dolly Parton in voice and mannerisms; Dee Hoty was Allison Janney-esque in her portrayal of the strong, career-driven Violet (coincidentally, I just learned, Janney originated this role in the Broadway production); and Mami Parris really stood out as Judy, transforming from an unsure lost woman to one of confidence, grace and great dance moves.
A pre-intermission series of song and dance numbers encapsulated the innocent goofiness of the show, as each of the leading women imagined how they would off their boss if they had the chance, after smoking up together. Meanwhile, dialogue included cheeky references to modern-day events the characters were blissfully unaware would become reality.
Bright and largely two-dimensional set pieces that the cast placed themselves kept the mood light and constantly-moving.
And Dolly fans were graced with her presence at the outset and conclusion of the show, as she appeared via recording to provide context, projected onto a large hanging clock.
Vibrant with a cartoon-like sense of humour, 9 to 5: the Musical is driven by heart and the desire to provide the audience a great ol' night of entertainment. As I sit here listening to Dolly's original version of the show's title track on repeat, I'm pretty sure it worked.