NEW BERN — A movie classic comes to the New Bern Civic Theatre stage Friday night for the first of eight performances — “9 to 5 The Musical.”
The stage version is adapted from the 20th Century Fox 1980 musical comedy film, based on the book by Patricia Resnick, with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton. The three leads in the film were Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton.
Dora Bullock, Megan Acruso and Betsy McCandless provide the local re-creations of those roles.
Veteran Derek Jordan directs and Leah Huttlinger is the producer, with musical direction by Deanie Singleton. Tim Maddox, a member of the Lenoir Community College music faculty, will provide piano accompaniment.
The three main female characters control the action, much of which revolves around the boss.
The roles were made famous in the movie by Tomlin as Violet; Parton as Doralee; Fonda as Judy; and Dabney Coleman as Franklin Hart Jr., the boss.
Acurso, as Violet, is making her second Civic appearance, last appearing in “RENT.” Performing since she was a child, she’s been in shows such as “Oliver,” “The Music Man,” “West Side Story,” “Pirates of Penzance,” “HAIR” and “Jesus Christ Superstar.”
McCandless, as Doralee, is a counselor for Craven County Schools. Her favorite roles include Frenchy in two Civic productions of “Grease” and as Olive Ostrovsky in RiverTowne Players production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.”
Bullock, as Judy, is a real-life Marine wife and mother of two. This is her third production at Civic. She was born and raised in Charleston, S.C., and attended the Charleston County School of the Arts, choreographing and playing roles such as Bombalurina in “Cats” and Maria in “West Side Story.”
She also performed dinner theater as Liesl in “The Sound of Music.” For Civic, she was Joann in “RENT” and was in “Bring on the Jazz.” She also works as a Zumba instructor.
Jim Chittick plays the lovable Franklin Hart Jr. His previous works include “Guys and Dolls,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” “California Suite,” “The Nutcracker,” “Don’t Dress for Dinner,” “On Golden Pond,” “Carousel,” “One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.”
Box Office hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Friday. It also is open 60 minutes before the performances for Will Call and walk-up sales only.
‘9 to 5 The Musical’
7:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday; May 17, 18, 24, 25
2 p.m. Sunday and May 19
New Bern Civic Theatre, 414 Pollock St.
Tickets: $17 in advance, $19 at door; students and active duty military, $10 with photo ID
Info: 252-633-0567 or newberncivictheatre.org.