Audience can get ‘Dolly’d up’ for the 9/25 matinee performance Friday
SOMERS POINT — Principals at Gateway Playhouse plan their productions a year ahead of time so the timing of this week’s opening of “9 to 5: the Musical” did not presage the death of star Dolly Parton’s death less a month ago.
They scheduled the musical because of its message.
“9 to 5: The Musical” is based on the 1980 movie starring Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. It is a comedy on workplace revenge among three overworked office workers putting up with a sexist male boss.
“I picked this because I think that it’s important for everyone to have equal rights in the workforce,” said Philip Pallitto, director of educational programming at Gateway. “I always like to say that art imitates life and I always like to leave a message for the audience to think about.
“With things that are happening in our work, our world, I think that it’s important to kind of take a trip back to 1979 and see three women that really fought to get what they deserve. They really fought for equal rights and fought for equal pay and really fought and came out on top,” Pallitto said. “To me, it’s such an uplifting message and an uplifting story that sometimes kind of gets lost in translation or lost in the shuffle, so I think it resonates with our audiences today.”
“We actually have to plan a full year in advance to purchase the rights to our shows,” Gateway Board of Directors Chairwoman Katie Calvi said Saturday morning during a dress rehearsal. “Dolly is an inspiration to us. She’s philanthropic and ran non-profits throughout her lifetime, just like us here.”
“We celebrate working women and when we were curating our 2026 season, (the show) just fit right in,” she said. “It’s high energy.”
For the upcoming sold-out performance Friday, “We’re encouraging all of our patrons to get Dolly’d up. We want everybody to have big hair, red lips, sparkles, however they want to pay homage to Dolly.” Calvi said a portion of proceeds from the production will go to Parton’s non-profit, the Imagination Library.”
According to Pallitto’s director’s notes, when “9 to 5” came out in 1980, “It was funny, bold and more than a little rebellious. Beneath the big hair, typewriters, coffee and truly questionable workplace behavior was something very real: three women tired of being overlooked, underestimated, underpaid and unheard.
“More than 45 years later, it is remarkable, and maybe a little frustrating, how relevant their story still feels.”
Pallitto said the women’s movement “has made extraordinary strides since Violet, Doralee and Judy first clocked in at Consolidated, yet conversations about equal pay, opportunity, harassment, respect and simply having a voice in the room continue today. Thankfully, ‘9 to 5’ doesn’t deliver that message with a lecture. It gives us friendship, outrageous fantasies, workplace revenge, a little accidental kidnapping and, of course, Dolly Parton.”
He made a point to note the production carries even more meaning with the death of Parton on Aug. 25 at 80 years old.
“Dolly was so much more than the composer and lyricist of ‘9 to 5.’ She was a storyteller, businesswoman, philanthropist and an icon who showed us that strength, kindness, humor and a whole lot of sparkle could coexist beautifully,” Pallitto wrote. “When we chose this show a year ago, I never imagined we would be presenting it so soon after losing the woman whose spirit is woven into every note. Somewhere along the way, this production became our small celebration of Dolly.”
Pallitto thanked the crew and cast for all their work on stage and behind the scenes to bring this production to life.
“9 to 5: The Musical” opens at Thursday, Sept. 24, with 7 p.m. performances through Sept. 26 and a matinee at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27. Other showings are Oct. 1-3 at 7 p.m. and 2 p.m. Oct. 4 at the playhouse at 728 Bay Ave., Somers Point. Reserve tickets, at $25, online at gatewaybythebay.org. For information call (609) 653-0553 or go to the website to see upcoming events.
– STORY and PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff