Friday, July 24, 2009

I killed the boss. You don't think they're not going to fire me for that!?

Yesterday was the best day ever. Okay, that might be a slight exaggeration, but not by much. My best friend bought us tickets to go see 9 to 5 on Broadway for my birthday. And I do have to admit that when I first heard last year that 9 to 5 was coming to Broadway, I was not a happy camper. I was skeptical... because I noticed a trend that all of these movies keep becoming musicals (Hairspray--which I love, Shrek--which I don't really know, American Psycho--which I'm still really REALLY skeptical about, etc. etc). But I admitted that I was wrong. I listened to the music for 9 to 5, and fell in love with the song "Get Out and Stay Out" which Judy sings at the end of Act 2. Dolly Parton really is a musical genius. (I heart Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. I really really do. I think it's amazing.)

I was very lucky to still see the original cast... and I don't think that's ever happened to me before. I always see it a few years later when the leads have been turned around a few times. But I was super lucky to see Allison Janney, Megan Hilty, and Stephanie Block. These three ladies are absolutely incredible. Allison Janney is IMHO one of the funneist women in show business. I fell in love with her at "She's got a big ass then...she's got a big ass now" in Drop Dead Gorgeous. And if you haven't seen that movie, rent it now. It's HILARIOUS.

Megan Hilty is one of my favorite musical theatre actors. She was my favorite Galinda in Wicked because she has this amazing sense for comedy. She's definitely not afraid to look stupid... which is so important in comedy. Her accent was also perfect. If you closed your eyes, you'd swear it was Dolly Parton onstage. And Stephanie Block breaks my heart. I just wanted to run up there and give her a big hug. I SOBBED during "Get Out and Stay Out." It's definitely my favorite number. They're all great songs... but this one is so incredibly moving. And Stephanie Block totally hits it out of the park.

I'd have to say that my favorite part of the show was watching these women's faces. You can just tell that they're having the time of their lives onstage. During the number when Allison Janney's character dreams about being CEO of the company, she was just beaming. I could also tell that they're getting to that point in a show where you do your own thing? Stephanie Block had a line in the show that I can't imagine was in the script. When they're about to kidnap their boss... she says to him "No good deed goes unpunished" which is hilarious since she went from playing Elphaba in Wicked to playing Judy in 9 to 5. I cracked up... and a few other people got the joke, too. But it's the little things like that that make me love (and miss...) live theatre.

One of my favorite moments of the day, though, was not during the show. We had horrible horrible weather... it rained THE WHOLE TIME and my pants were soaking wet. And of course I wore dark jeans.. so they were sticking to me. Gross. But I'm walking through Times Square not paying attention to anything because I'm wet and slightly cranky when I hear someone shout my first and last name. Interesting thing to hear in Times Square. One of my friends from college was working in Times Square handing out flyers for tickets to a musical. It doesn't surprise me that I ran into someone from college..because MOST of my friends live in New York, but I don't expect to hear my name shouted in Times Square.

We also had an amazing dinner before the show. If you're looking for a great place to eat in New York City, walk a few blocks to 9th Ave and pick something there. There are so many great restaurants on 9th. We went to a place called Frangolino. Great food. Really good calimari, and really really good pinot noir.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I saw "9 to 5" just a few days ago, and it was great. Stephanie Block's voice is amazing, and I wish I had seen both her and Megan Hilty in Wicked. Allison Janey's voice doesn't compare to the other two, but she's such a good actress. Besides, not many actresses would be able to compete with Block and Hilty. If you're going to NY and want to see a fun show, check out "9 to 5".