Review by Shawn Maus
Stage Right Musical Theatre Company’s production of 9 to 5: The Musical is fast, funny, colorful and full of the kind of energy that makes live theater feel alive.
With music and lyrics by Dolly Parton and a book by Patricia Resnick, 9 to 5 is based on the 20th Century Fox film and set in the workplace world of 1979, where three women finally decide they have had enough of their sexist, arrogant and wildly inappropriate boss. The result is part workplace comedy, part revenge fantasy and part musical sitcom. Stage Right lets all three play at full volume.
Directed by John Seidenberg II, who also designed the projections, the show moves at a brisk clip. The pacing, staging, and visual style make it feel like a live sitcom unfolding onstage. The characters are big, the situations ridiculous, and the dialogue lands with the right kind of snap.
By the end, I was tired for the cast. 9 to 5 barrels forward with very little dead air, and that momentum is one of its greatest strengths.
This is also a welcome programming choice for Stage Right’s 10th season. After recent family-friendly productions such as Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, 9 to 5 gives the company a chance to show another side of itself. This one is brighter, brassier and definitely more grown-up.
Parents should know this is more of a PG show. The humor and subject matter are not aimed at younger children. The story comes from a 1979 workplace culture, and the show deals with sexism, power, pay equity and women trying to claim space in business. So, understand the context, bring your sense of humor and let the show shine.
The Leading Ladies
The show belongs to its three leading women: Anecia Johnson as Violet Newstead, Kaetlyn Thatcher as Doralee Rhodes and Annie Schneider as Judy Bernly.
Johnson, making her Stage Right debut as Violet, is a knockout. Her comic timing is sharp, her facial expressions are gold, and her voice has the kind of power that makes you sit up a little straighter. Violet has to feel like the woman who has kept the office running for years while watching less qualified men pass her by. Johnson gives her that authority, but she also gives her warmth, bite and terrific comic control. I hope Stage Right brings her back often.
Thatcher’s Doralee is a full-bodied tribute to Dolly Parton without turning into a cheap impersonation. Her voice, physicality, acting style and even the hair all carry that unmistakable Dolly spirit. But what makes the performance work is that Thatcher also finds Doralee’s backbone. She understands Doralee’s sweetness, but she also finds the spine underneath it.
Schneider brings an appealing mix of nervousness, humor and growing confidence to Judy. Her character has to make a real journey from uncertain newcomer to someone who begins to find her own strength, and Schneider handles that arc with charm and a strong voice.
Together, Johnson, Thatcher and Schneider have the chemistry this show needs. Their voices are strong on their own, but the real pleasure is watching the three characters start to trust each other. The friendship feels earned, and that matters. Without that connection, 9 to 5 is just a workplace cartoon. With it, the show has a heart.
Solid Ensemble
Sam Allen Johnson plays Franklin Hart Jr. with exactly the right kind of smarmy confidence. He channels the Dabney Coleman spirit from the film while making the role work onstage. Hart is sexist, pompous, entitled and ridiculous — basically the perfect sitcom villain. Johnson gives the audience permission to love hating him.
Mary Vossberg is a scene-stealer as Roz. She throws herself into the role with fearless comic commitment, and it pays off. In a show filled with big personalities, Vossberg still finds a way to make Roz stand out.
The ensemble also deserves real credit. The entire company keeps the pace high, the energy bright, and the world of the office buzzing.
The Design
The design work is one of the production’s strongest assets. John Seidenberg captures the late-1970s office world with wonderful detail. The look of the show immediately tells us where we are and what kind of workplace world these characters are trapped in. John Seidenberg II’s projection and multimedia design adds visual variety and scale, helping the production move briskly from scene to scene without bogging down the pace.
Cassidy Perme’s choreography is lively, clean and full of character. The movement fits the show’s tone and keeps the musical numbers from feeling like stand-alone interruptions. It all feels connected to the world of the office and the personalities onstage.
Michael Jarek’s sound design had some opening-night trouble early in the performance, but the issue was quickly corrected. Once things settled in, the vocals and dialogue came through much more clearly.
Kana’L’s hair and makeup design is spot on. From long feathered styles to bouffants and office-ready coiffs, the hair reflects the decade. Doralee’s look, in particular, is dead-on and beautifully supports Thatcher’s performance.
Jayna Fry’s costume design complements the whole production. The costumes include pleated skirts, shoulder pads and ’70s workplace silhouettes, building the world of the show.
Overall Impression
Stage Right’s 9 to 5 works because the company understands the material. It is broad, cheeky, and loud in all the ways it should be loud. It is Dolly Parton, office politics, fantasy revenge and big musical comedy all rolled into one.
What impressed me most, though, was the depth of talent Stage Right continues to pull together. The leads are strong, the ensemble is committed, and the production team has clearly put real thought into the details. That kind of care shows.
This is Stage Right’s 10th season. Ten years means actors, designers, musicians, volunteers, crew members, and audiences have kept showing up. In his curtain speech, John Seidenberg II spoke about how meaningful it is to see people coming out to support live theater. He is right.
We need companies like Stage Right. We need the places where performers get to grow, designers get to create, and audiences get to remember that a room full of people sharing a story is still a pretty wonderful thing.
Shawn Says: Stage Right’s 9 to 5 is worth every minute.
Stage Right’s 9 to 5 clocks in as a funny, stylish and wonderfully performed production that celebrates strong women, big laughs and the joy of live theater. Go see it.
Stage Right Musical Theatre Company’s 9 to 5: The Musical runs June 12-28, 2026, at the Williamstown Performing Arts Center, 300 Helton Road, Williamstown, Kentucky. Tickets are available through Stage Right Musical Theatre Company’s website.
