Yellowknife’s Kacie Hall has had a specific dream project ever since her first in university, she recalled.
“I love Dolly Parton (and thought) I would love to do ‘9 to 5’ at some point,” she said.
Fast forward a handful of years later, and Hall’s dream has now come true.
Thursday was opening night for 9 to 5: The Musical at the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre (NACC) with Hall is its director.
When cast and crew had their dress rehearsal on Wednesday evening, they weren’t exactly alone. Friends and family, along with some media, also came to see what the musical was all about.
As Hall puts it, it’s about as faithful to Parton’s work as it could get.
“It’s the same story as the movie, we just have the added layer of all of Dolly Parton’s songs, which is very fun,” she said. “It’s written entirely by Dolly herself, so there are some songs she didn’t release that are in this show.”
Parton’s orginal 9 to 5 is an 1980s American comedy that features three female workers who, fed up with a sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot of a boss, get their comeuppance by kidnapping him and running the business themselves.
Despite its age, the story’s messaging about feminism and workplace culture still holds up.
“At the time, we were at the specific wave of feminism, where we were looking at the treatment of women, especially in the professional setting,” said Hall. “And something that our cast notes is that we are still dealing with a lot of these issues.”
Hall said the big message is there is no definitive, right way way to be a woman, and the only right thing to do is to be there for other women.
“I think that shows through in this story quite well,” she said.
Quickly bursting into song and dance, the entire musical lasted around two-and-a-half hours and each song was met with cheers, while each joke came with laughs. The audience gave their seal of approval with a standing ovation.
The 9 to 5 cast and crew are hoping for a similar reaction for each of their shows. They’ll be on stage Friday and Saturday at NACC with shows beginning at 7:30 p.m. with further shows May 1 to 4.