9 to 5 Highlights Student Talent, Feminism, and Fun
9 to 5 cast members brought CRLS’s first school musical since 2019 to life.
January 22, 2023
The CRLS Visual & Performing Arts Department never fails to bring a spectacular show to the Fitzgerald Theater, and this year’s musical is no exception. For the past several months, students and staff members at the school have been working hard on their production of Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5, culminating in opening night on Friday, December 2nd. The musical centers around three women—Judy, Doralee, and Violet—and the injustices they face in their working lives. Through a series of captivating scenes, growing sisterhood, and catchy songs, their stories are brought to life.
“I loved being in the musical; it was such a fun, laughter-filled, and joyful experience that truly made our cast and crew very close,” Julia Teller ’24, who portrayed Doralee, told the Register Forum. “This is the first musical CRLS has done since 2019, so I think everyone involved was even more committed to producing a really professional, optimistic piece of art.” Teller continued, “I have been doing theater at CRLS since my freshman year, and I love it so much. We are such an inclusive, supportive, and loving community, and there’s honestly no other place I would rather be every day than the basement. 9 to 5 specifically, I think, brought a lot of freshmen and people who hadn’t [been involved in] theater before down to the basement.”
Senior Ryan Whorf expressed a similar sentiment, telling the Register Forum “[the musical] was very fun and everyone was very kind and supportive of each other … My favorite part was playing my character Mr. Tinsworthy; he’s a very fun and big character despite only being on during the end.” He also encouraged more students to get involved in theater, stating, “If you want to get out of your shell and pretend to be someone else for a while, I highly recommend being in a musical … It feels very good after it’s all done and you do your bows and the whole audience cheers.” This statement was echoed by Josh’s actor Ronan Muellner ’25, who told the Register Forum, “I would recommend CRLS students to audition for shows or sign up for tech.”
“My experience being in the musical was challenging, but that doesn’t mean it was bad in any way. It was wonderful. I got to do something, it gave my life more of a structure, [and] I would even say it was life-changing. In the end it was totally worth it,” Nick Wayland ’25—who played Dick—told the Register Forum. “I don’t think there are any words in this world that could describe how thankful I am for working with everyone there … Thank you, 9 to 5, for changing my life.”
This year’s musical and its success were the culmination of the cast and crew’s dedication, passion, and hard work throughout the year. To those considering joining theater, Teller says, “the most special thing about CRLS theater [is that] it doesn’t matter what grade you’re in or how much theater experience you have—the people in the basement will accept you and truly love you the moment you come down.”
This article also appears in our December 2022 print edition.
