MRHS's 9 To 5 - A Stunning Show With Terrific Talent

DescriptionAn article that talks about the most recent musical at WRTN founder Jason Elhilow's school.
MessageWe recommend watching MRHS's 9 to 5 to form your own opinions about the show.

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9 To 5
IntroductionAs a student, I have a couple major responsibilities. You know, the typical getting schoolwork done and making sure I have good grades. But as Class President, there are a few more tossed my way, one of them being involvement in school-related activities. And on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, I went to my first high school musical. My FIRST. Never have I seen any of my fellow peers perform on stage, and given the price tag (I paid $22 for a special ticket on premiere night for the MRHS Friends of The Arts), it needed to be worth my money. And, to say the least, it definitely was. In fact, I would have paid double for the experience I got.
Special seating aside, the actual play I saw, which was 9 to 5, written by Patricia Resnick and composed by Dolly Parton, was remarkable. Normally I would expect what I think we all expect from school musicals: silly acting, clumsy singing, poor props and sets. But this was different, way different. Between the magnificent track list, A+ performances, and mesmerizing vocals, it shows how truly talented so many are so early in their lives (they can definitely do more than I can, to say the least). So, here's an "official" review of the remarkable job they did, because that is just how blown away I was. Enjoy.
The Story/MusicThe plot of 9 to 5 is fairly straightforward. That is, if you can accept the fact that three women in the 1970s kidnap and attempt to kill their boss multiple times. Jokes aside, that is essentially the narrative, as you follow Violet, a hardworking mother, Doralee, a rather outward and disliked coworker, and Judy, the new girl in town, as they all work at the Consolidated office from the hours of 9 am to 5 pm. They are watched over by Mr. Hart, a "sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot" who seems to demean the women at his workplace every chance he gets.
The story really starts to get going after it seems that Violet, who is practically Mr. Hart's assistant regardless of her remarkable performance, accidentally puts rat poison in his coffee. She does this after she and her recently acquainted friends, Judy and Doralee, fantasize about killing him when smoking a joint. When she hands the mug to him, she does not realize what she served him, only making the realization after the fact. This sends the three women into a panic, and they collect in the restroom to devise a plan in the hopes that he did not drink it. But someone is in a stall nearby and overhears this conversation: Roz, Mr. Hart's loyal employee who tells him immediately of the case. Luckily, Hart avoided the coffee after he noticed a strange taste from it, but decides to work with Roz to convince the trio of women that Violet did, in fact, kill him, all in the hopes of getting them fired for their recent outcries against him. Things continue to get wilder and wilder, as the women quickly catch on to what Hart and Roz set up, and when Doralee discovers this, she quickly pulls pull out a gun and ties her boss up with telephone wires. From there, the three of them lock him away at his house for a month, together taking control of the office and forging Mr. Hart’s signature to create a series of improvements to the workplace. Eventually, Hart escapes, and just as he is about to call the police on them, a board member of ConsolidatedMr. Tinsworthy—enters, initially seeming like he knew what had happened, relieving the distressed Hart. So, when he asked him who did all of this, he points to the leading ladies. But Tinsworthy then reveals that he meant who increased office productivity, and since Hart gave credit to the women, they were kept around, Violet becoming boss and Hart getting sent to the up-and-coming Bolivian operation (which is not a good thing). Ultimately, the women get away with what they did, though what they did was beyond fair after the years of harassment Mr. Hart gave them. Finally, Consolidated was free of Hart’s misogynistic grip, letting all of the girls in the office finally enjoy their jobs.
The music, which is a fantastic assortment of both solo and ensemble pieces, is the main driver of the story, and the quality of each is amazing. Of course, the iconic 9 to 5 song, along with my personal favorite, Cowgirl's Revenge, are done expertly, Doralee's actress Emory Hines having to sing the entire song with her southern accent, which was perfectly done.
The PerformancesTruly, every performance I saw was stunning. The main mentions I have to make go to the fantastic women who played Violet, Doralee, and Judy, each done by Kaeleigh Bourgea, Emory Hines, and Alexis Arruda respectively. There also must be a massive compliment thrown toward Julia Morgan, who played Roz, and Tyler Brackett, who played Mr. Hart. Together, as these fantastic individuals acted their hearts out, sang like nothing I have ever heard before, and overall just blew me away. Each of them had powerful vocals and outstanding solo performances, while also working wonderfully with the greater ensemble. To say the least, I would say they all could have promising careers in the arts, really showing range and talent far beyond what anyone could expect from high schoolers.
There was also the pit band, who played along with each accompanying track sung by the cast. There is way too much good talent there to reference anyone specifically, but just know that a good number of them also played the same night as the MRHS Winter Concert, as to which there is an article on WRTN about, so check that out if you are interested!
The ShoutoutsNow, here's the shoutout section, where my bias toward certain people will likely show through. I'm not doing it purposely, but I most definitely know a good number of both the actors and musicians playing throughout the event. Regardless, I think that it is a good idea to give mention to some of the other class acts of the night, even though everyone was truly great.
My first two go to Ben McGrath and Edrian Wright, who managed to play both a character in the show and an instrument in the pit band, switching off when their characters came into play, something that is quite impressive. I mean, going from below the audience's view to right in their sight is easier said than done. But the two of them, who played Dick, Judy's ex-husband, and Mr. Tinsworthy, the head board member of Consolidated, did an amazing job.
There are also some extras that I may as well shout out, as they all did great supporting the leads and staying on point even through the most difficult of choreography. Chloe Eldredge, who plays the office drunk, did a phenomenal job bringing laughs out of the entire audience. Missy, acted by Leyla Holmes, also does so much, even with so little screen time, really embodying Mr. Hart's heavily ignored wife. Joe, played by Leyla's brother, Wellington, also does a great job sparing off of Bourgea's Violet as a love interest. The last one I can really think of is Chloe Thompson, who got to portray both a doctor for Mr. Hart after his supposed poisoning and as a part of the ensemble, bringing her fullest with the routines set for each scene, like during the song Cowgirl's Revenge, where she is set to entangle Mr. Hart with a massive lasso.
Though there are even MORE students to shout out for their incredible work, because there is not only magic on the stage, but behind it as well. WRTN contributor Michael Considine made an appearance as one of the many stage crew members, swiftly bringing in and out an assortment of sets and props. Lead sound designer and board operator Quill Adamsons also did a fantastic job, as, even though he was not the only one doing it, he ensured that everything went smoothly. Charlotte Mahoney was the light board operator, and Kayandra Watson was the spotlight operator, together ensuring that the big, bright beams of the MRHS Auditorium were fully illuminating the leading actors on stage.
I would lastly like to mention Rachel Barnes, Rosemarie Richard, and Aaron Bolton for their work as director, musical director, and technical director of this rendition of 9 to 5, coming together with these students and so many others to immerse the audience not only visually, but sonically as well.
Undoubtedly, they all truly deserve to be applauded for their hard work. Even if you were not directly shouted out here, do know that you did a top-notch job, whether you were seen or hidden from the audience. I am astonished by all of you, by all of them, even if you have no idea who I am.
ConclusionIt is clear that there is much talent throughout the Monomoy Regional School District. Kids of all ages, from all walks of life, have come together for a collection of very special nights to put on a show for all to see, and I could not be happier that I went. If you would like to catch the rest of the shows, there is one Thursday, March 16, Friday, March 17, and two Saturday, March 18. The weekday ones start @7 pm, but the matinee on Saturday starts @2 pm with the second show happening @7 pm. But beyond all of that, I believe that this was a phenomenal version of 9 to 5, and I wish them the best of luck on their next theatrical release, because you just know I will be there, sitting in the audience, awed by the sheer brilliance being executed in front of me. And you should be, too.
Buy tickets here: https://www.msbtickets.com/monomoyregionalhighschool/schoolevents