So “9 to 5” is closing at the end of the summer. I can’t say this is a big surprise, and I can’t say I’m not disappointed.
I was one of the show’s biggest defenders in the NY critics corps. It’s far from great, I readily admit it, and at times it’s also far from good. But I enjoyed its spirit, its cast and (most of) its songs. Joe Mantello’s direction and Andy Blankenbuehler’s choreography did the show a lot of disservice, and I’d be curious to see it revived by a team more atuned to its humor. (I’m ready to take a bet that when a British director restages it 10 years from now, a lot of current naysayers will give “9 to 5” another chance. Yes, I’m cynical.)
I was also bugged by the derisive critical reception the show encountered. There’s no need to go back to it again … oh what the heck, I just will anyway. Why, for instance, compare “9 to 5” to “Next to Normal”? Apples and oranges. A better comparison would have been to “Shrek,” who was received in a much more lenient way. Could it be because its composer, Jeanine Tesori, is a local musical-theater insider who rates more with NY critics than Dolly Parton? I usually enjoy Tesori’s work but “Shrek” doesn’t rank as such, and in this particular case, Parton’s score compared favorably.
Meanwhile, “Next to Normal” keeps on keeping on.