9 To 5: The Musical Plays Houston 11/9-21

The producers of 9 to 5: The Musical are pleased to announce the cast for the musical, which runs November 9 - 21, 2010 at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, located at 800 Bagby (77002).

Dee Hoty, Mamie Parris, and Diana DeGarmo will play the gal pal threesome in this hilarious, big Broadway tale of friendship and revenge in the Rolodex era. Set to play the sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot boss will be Joseph Mahowald. Kristine Zbornik will play the frumpy, brownnoser who harbors a secret crush on her boss.

9 to 5: The Musical is the delightfully uproarious story of three unlikely friends who conspire to take control of their company and learn there's nothing they can't do -- even in a man's world. Outrageous, thought-provoking and even a little romantic, 9 to 5: The Musical is about teaming up and taking care of business... it's about getting credit and getting even.

Dee Hoty will play the role of Violet. She has earned three Tony nominations for her starring roles in Footloose, The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public and The Will Rogers Follies. Dee starred on Broadway and in eight major U.S. cities as Donna Sheridan in Mamma Mia! Performing on and off-Broadway, she toured the country and has been involved in many pre-Broadway workshops. She has appeared in "Law & Order", "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" and numerous television and film appearances.

The role of Judy will be played by Mamie Parris, whose Broadway credits include the Tony-Nominated revival of Ragtime, 110 In the Shade and the Tony-winning musical The Drowsy Chaperone. She turned the road pink in the First National Tour of Legally Blonde the Musical, has sung with the Radio City Rockettes, toured with country music icon Kenny Rogers, and participated in over a dozen readings with students of the BMI-Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop.

Joseph Mahowald is the unsuspecting Franklin Hart, Jr. Joseph has appeared on Broadway in title roles in Jekyll & Hyde, Javert in Les Miz and Chiefton O'Flaherty in The Pirate Queen. He has performed off-Broadway and in several national tours, was a soloist with major symphonies around the world and has been on all the NY soaps. Some of his extensive regional credits include being a founding member of the artistic company of Tennessee Repertory and appeared in leading roles in numerous productions.

Comic, actress and cabaret performer Kristine Zbornik has been cast for the role of Roz. Kristine performed on Broadway in A Catered Affair and Off-Broadway in Forbidden Broadway, Mama Mia and Man of LaMancha.

"American Idol" finalist, Diana DeGarmo has been cast in the role of Doralee Rhodes, made famous by the queen of country music and iconic songwriter, musician, movie star and entrepreneur Dolly Parton. Diana gained overnight fame, at age 16, as a runner-up on the third season of television's No. 1 series, "American Idol". Broadway credits include Hair, Hairspray and Brooklyn: The Musical and starred in the off-Broadway musical The Toxic Avenger. DeGarmo was born in Birmingham, AL, raised in Snellville, GA, and currently has a home and resides in Nashville where she continues to co-write and perform in and around the area.

Rounding out the cast is Jane Blass, Patrick Boyd, Paul Castree, Holly Davis, Janet Dickinson Madeleine Doherty, Marjorie Failoni, Gregg Goodbrod, K.J. Hippensteel, Jesse J.P. Johnson, Michelle Marmolejo, April Nixon, Ryah Nixon, Rick Pessagno, Wayne Schroder, Micah Shepard and Travis Waldschmidt.

This new musical comedy, direct from Broadway, is based on the hit movie and features Dolly Parton's original hit title song along with her new Tony Award® and Grammy-nominated score. The book is by Patricia Resnick (co-writer of the original screenplay). The touring production will be directed and choreographed by Tony nominated, Jeff Calhoun. "I met Dolly Parton as a chorus kid dancing in the film ‘The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas' only a few years after ‘9 to 5' was already a hit movie. It was a thrill to work with her then and an honor and privilege to be entrusted to direct and choreograph this exciting new tour of 9 to 5: The Musical" said Mr. Calhoun. The co-choreographer is Lisa Stevens, scenic design by Ken Foy, costume design by five time Tony Award® winner, William Ivey Long, lighting design by Tony Award® and Drama Desk Award winner, Ken Billington, sound design by Steve Kennedy, orchestrations by Bruce Coughlin music supervision by Stephen Oremus and casting by Telsey + Company.

9 to 5: The Musical is based on the 20th Century Fox Picture. The tour is produced by special arrangement with Music Theatre International and by Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, Fox Theatricals and Theatre Under The Stars.

Tickets (starting at $24) are available on-line at TUTS.com, by phone at (713) 558-TUTS (8887), outside the Houston area at (888) 558-3882, or in person at the Theatre Under The Stars Box Office, (800 Bagby at Walker, Mon-Fri 10a.m.- 6 p.m., Sat-Sun 11a.m.- 4p.m.) An audio described performance is available Sunday, November 21, 2010 at 2 p.m.; open captioning Sunday, November 21, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. The Hobby Center is wheelchair accessible. Discounts are available for groups of 15 or more and may be purchased by calling (713) 558-8888 or via email at groupsales@tuts.com.

TUTS' presentation of 9 to 5: The Musical is made possible by the generosity of ConocoPhillips.

Theatre Under The Stars 2010-11 Sensational Season is generously sponsored by St. Luke's Episcopal Health System. For all of Theatre Under The Stars' 2010-2011 shows, air transportation is provided by Continental Airlines, the official airline of Theatre Under The Stars. Media sponsors include ABC-13 and Houston Chronicle. Season support is funded in part by grants from the City of Houston through the Theater District Association and the Texas Commission on the Arts.

Founded in 1968, Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) is Houston's acclaimed non-profit musical theatre company under the direction of President and CEO John C. Breckenridge. TUTS was the first theatrical organization in Houston to perform free to the public in 1968 at Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park, and is the only Houston arts organization that has performed there free to the public every year since the building opened. Since its founding by Frank M. Young, TUTS has produced more than 300 musicals including many local, national and world premieres such as Kopit and Yeston's Phantom, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Jekyll & Hyde, and Irving Berlin's White Christmas as well as critically acclaimed re-inventions of classics Cabaret and Les Miserables. Through its membership in the Independent Presenters Network, TUTS has helped bring Bombay Dreams, 9 to 5, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Spamalot, Legally Blonde, Ragtime, Curtains and The Color Purple to Broadway.

As a way to continue the tradition of musical theatre, TUTS' Education provides instruction and stage experience for more than 1,700 students annually, allowing students to flourish in a year-round schedule of classes. With a common goal - to expand arts access to children of all abilities - The River Performing and Visual Arts Center (The River) merged with Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) in 2010, creating a unique, barrier free, arts education model for non-profit musical theatre performing arts organizations. With the merger, TUTS Education now provides extended on-site programming as well as off-site programming for children in schools, hospitals and other community-based sites. Housed in the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, TUTS also annually presents the Tommy Tune Awards, honoring the best and brightest in Houston's high school musical theatre programs.

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