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9 to 5: Tour vs Broadway

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Younger Brother
#19 to 5: Tour vs Broadway
Posted: 10/28/12 at 3:29pm

Hi everyone! I was reading through some old threads and came across many comments about people saying the touring production was more enjoyable than the Broadway production, of 9 to 5. Just curios to know what people thought of either production? It's one of my all time favorite films and I love the cast recording. Shall be catching the UK tour later this year

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bwayphreak234
#29 to 5: Tour vs Broadway
Posted: 10/28/12 at 4:20pm

I saw the tour. I thought it was pretty abysmal except for Mamie Parris. The set was hideous and cheap. Diana Degarmo was terrible. I thought the show was just boring. I usually don't find shows boring even if I don't like them, but I thought this one was a total snooze fest.


"There’s nothing quite like the power and the passion of Broadway music. "

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Quiche2
#29 to 5: Tour vs Broadway
Posted: 10/28/12 at 4:31pm

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the tour include a clock screen with Dolly Parton narrating the opening number on it that Broadway didn't have? I know some version has that, I believe it was the tour. I absolutely despise the use of screens/animation in a live show. I never saw the tour, but I did see Broadway, and I loved Broadway. And by the looks of tour clips I've seen on YouTube, I think Broadway is better IMO.


Theatre is my life. No one can take that away from me.

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songanddanceman2
#39 to 5: Tour vs Broadway
Posted: 10/28/12 at 5:03pm

You should see the production here in the UK thats just opened, we have the same set from the US tour and the pointless screen with Dolly talking, not to mention a very bad case of miscasting


Namo i love u but we get it already....you don't like Madonna

musicalperson17
#49 to 5: Tour vs Broadway
Posted: 10/28/12 at 5:21pm

I saw the tour while it was in Toronto. Diana Degarmo sounded like she was on helium the entire time, Hoty was phoning it in, and Paris was the only highlight. She brought down the house with Get Out and Stay Out garnering more applause than at the entire curtain call. She was also hysterical when she said her line about office managers stealing from their companies and got even more applause. Aside from the tight ensemble and a quirky performance by Roz, the show was pretty bad complete with the hideous set and abysmal Dolly Parton clock.

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Phantom of London
#59 to 5: Tour vs Broadway
Posted: 10/28/12 at 5:28pm

I preferred the Broadway version, than the tour version and also despised Dolly narrating the opening number via a projector screen, isn't that what we go to the movies for instead? The Broadway version with all different alarm clocks going off, then kicking off straight into 9-5 was done very very well.

Also 'Potion-Notion' which was cut for the tour, where you had Allison Janney disappear under this giant sheet, then the sheet pulled back with Allison Janney, Megan Hilty and Stephanie J Block appearing, then beginning to walk upstage was really well done and a commanding piece of theatre.

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EvanK
#69 to 5: Tour vs Broadway
Posted: 10/29/12 at 4:16am

Yeah no. I adored the Broadway production, the tour butchered the show. I'm certainly hoping the Broadway version is the version you can get rights to. Why would you have Dolly narrate?! Ugh.

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westcoast_wannabe
#79 to 5: Tour vs Broadway
Posted: 10/29/12 at 5:37am

I didn't see it on broadway but I saw the tour. It was the worst night of theater I've ever experienced. If I wasn't with friends who wanted to stay it would have been the first time I would have left a show at intermission.

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Broadway Bob*
#89 to 5: Tour vs Broadway
Posted: 10/29/12 at 8:36am

Maybe I'm in the minority, but I found the tour version much better than the Broadway version in regards to script and staging. It was cleaner and more concise. The choreography was FAR superior than the jerky nonsensical moves Blankenbeuhler came up with. And I thought the Dolly narrations were cute (not a necessity) but helped general audiences get into the show a bit more. Remember they were selling to the masses here.

Now, set wise of course Broadway was better - it was Broadway! And casting wise you just can't beat Allison Janney (though I thought Dee Hoty did a superb job), Stephanie J. Block and especially Megan Hilty. DeGarmo just really didn't cut it for me. Nice singing voice just completely wrong for the role.


<-- Tevye, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, March 2018

Wilmingtom
#99 to 5: Tour vs Broadway
Posted: 10/29/12 at 4:33pm

They're licensing the tour version with the Dolly video narration, which is easy to cut. The tour also cut Hart's 2nd act number, "Always a Woman." Otherwise it's pretty much the same as the Broadway version.

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Brave Sir Robin2
#109 to 5: Tour vs Broadway
Posted: 10/30/12 at 7:56pm

I saw the L.A. tryout and thought that even though it was a little too long, it was brilliant. I heard they made some changes for the worst on Broadway. The L.A. version could have been Tony-worthy.


"I saw Pavarotti play Rodolfo on stage and with his girth I thought he was about to eat the whole table at the Cafe Momus." - Dollypop

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goldenboy
#119 to 5: Tour vs Broadway
Posted: 11/1/12 at 4:21pm

I saw the Broadway version and liked it very much. I don't know why it got such a bad critical reception. I did not see the tour but don't see what Dolly narrating would have to do with the show... it would seem to cheapen it. I mean Richard Rogers doesn't narrate the Sound of Music. Sondheim doesn't narrate Into the Woods. Jerry Herman does n't narrate Hello Dolly. WTF?

It's a fine life! Profile Photo
It's a fine life!
#129 to 5: Tour vs Broadway
Posted: 11/2/12 at 6:07am

The Dolly narration made me feel like I was getting ready to embark on an amusement park journey. While it could work if they built a 9 to 5 ride in Dollywood, it doesn't work well as the preface or prelude to an otherwise decent musical.


If you don't mind taking it as it turns out, it's a fine, fine LIFE!


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