‘9 to 5 the Musical' set to open on North Hills High School stage

On the surface, a story about three downtrodden women working hard to make an honest living in a male chauvinist-run environment might not appear to be much in the way of breezy entertainment.

Though set in the 1970s, many of the issues raised about the challenges faced by working women in “9 to 5” decades ago are still relevant today. And with a peppy score, lots of laughs and a little romance, “9 to 5 the Musical,” being staged by the North Hills High School Drama Club this spring, has all the ingredients to be a smashing success.

The show has a good track record, having begun its existence as a hit 1980 movie starring Dolly Parton, Lilly Tomlin and Jane Fonda. It then went from the big screen to the Broadway stage with music and lyrics by Parton.

“I think an important message of this show is the value of friendship,” director and choreographer Lauren Sarazen said. “Because these three very different women chose to unite forces, they were able to not only solve their own problems, but also improve the lives of others.”

The plot of this screwball comedy has the three female coworkers — Violet, Judy and Doralee — scheming to turn the tables on their sexist boss by taking control of the company that had oppressed them.

“There’s something about each character that the audience will empathize with — enduring the center of gossip like Doralee, being the ‘new girl’ like Judy, and feeling underappreciated like Violet,” Sarazen said. “I think I most connect with Violet at this stage in my life. As a director and a full-time teacher, I am in a management role all day every day. Violet is a very hardworking and firm leader with a big heart. I strive to be that for my students.”

While the show is based on what must seem like ancient history to some, senior Julia Yeomans, who plays Violet, said it’s something her mother experienced firsthand.

“I know specifically that my mom has told me about her relation to all of the lead women in the show because when she was entering the workforce, she had experienced some of the inequalities expressed in the show,” Yeomans said. “I feel that may be true to a lot of the audience members.”

Senior Felicity Dicken, who plays Judy, said the issues raised in “9 to 5 the Musical,” are still relevant today.

“Women throughout history have been discriminated against and this show shows a few of the many ways society has been prejudiced towards women,” Dicken said.

Junior Emma Hopf, who plays Doralee, agrees.

“The issues raised in this show are without a doubt still relevant today,” Hopf said. “However, I feel like I can say we’ve come a long way since 1979! We still, unfortunately, face inequality in this day and age with women being put lower than men, especially in the work field.”

The importance of the subject matter has helped Hopf push past the formidable challenges of doing a play that involves triple-threat talents — those who can sing, dance and act.

“The most challenging part of this show is the number of songs,” she said. “Nothing could’ve prepared me for all the music and especially the variety of different songs included.”

A heroic story such as this requires a monumental villain. The meaty but somewhat thankless role of Franklin Hart Jr. went to senior Bryan Karpinski.

When asked how well the audience will relate to the characters in the play, Karpinski had a succinct answer.

“Well, I surely hope none of them relate to my character!” he said. But he thinks that while “sexism is real,” the audience will have a good time.

“I think they’ll laugh, there are silly, goofy parts of the show, but I also hope they’ll see that there are still issues in the workplace with equal rights and that they’ll be more watchful for them,” Karpinski said.

At the end of the day, Sarazen said the play rises on the brilliance of Parton’s music and lyrics.

“Dolly is a living legend,” she said. “She creates beautiful music and lyrics that capture each character’s style with their own unique musicality. In Dolly We Trust.”