By Douglas McCulloch
Hometown Weekly Staff
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Westwood High drama students are preparing to open their spring musical, “9 to 5,” on March 10.
“9 to 5” centers on three women working in an office in 1980s corporate America. It tells the story of Violet, Judie and Doralee, three women working in mid-level positions at a major corporation.
All three work under Frank Hart, a sexist and hateful boss who treats women as objects and does not view their work equally compared to the males who work for the company. Things spiral out of control quickly as the women’s secret desires for revenge for Hart’s sexist employment practices suddenly come true.
The musical features a diverse cast of strong female roles, and a 1980s-inspired musical lineup of popular music. It delivers a strong message of female empowerment against the often male-dominated climate of corporate America.
Musical director Rob Goldman noted that when the drama department was deciding what musical to perform this year, they sought to do something different than what they had done last year. Last year’s production of “Godspell” featured a more fun production with male leads, and Goldman noted they were looking for a production to highlight the many talented senior girls participating this year.
“We have a very strong senior cast of girls this year” Goldman said.
Although the musical is set in the 1980s, Goldman noted many of its central themes are still relevant today.
“The wage gap, the hot headed boss and harassment, these things are still 100 percent relevant today,” Goldman said.
Carley Stebbins, who plays one of the leading roles of Violet, noted that the show combines humor and more serious subject matter to provide a great show.
“It’s a very humorous show,” Stebbins said. “It’s a serious show but there is a lot of comedy. It’s a lot about empowerment and girl power.”
Radhika Rangarajan, who plays the role of Doralee, noted that in addition to the themes of women’s empowerment, the musical also features broader themes of community.
“A lot of it is about community, it’s about coming together and setting aside differences,” Rangarajan said.
The spring musical will have four showings. It will premiere on March 10 at 7:30 p.m., and will be shown again on March 11 at 7:30 p.m. There will be two shows on March 12, one at 2 p.m. and one at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $10 for students and senior citizens, and are $15 for adults, and are available at the door.
