By Gabby Bonds
Elm Staff Writer
Washington College packed Alonzo G. and Virginia Gent Decker Theatre full of students, staff, and community members this past weekend with the music department’s exuberant production of the classic musical “9 to 5: The Musical.”
The production, which tells the story set in 1979 of three office women who get revenge on their sexist boss, captured and kept the attention of the audience from start to finish. In addition to the impressive singing and acting on stage, the musical also featured a live orchestra in the theatre’s pit for the first time in 25 years.
The contributions from the College and the broader Chestertown community that made this production possible represent both an important collaborative effort and a huge success for the college’s music department.
“I’m most excited to share the remarkable talent of this cast performing with a live orchestra,” artistic director Jennifer Kafka Smith said to Kent County News, “We have worked hard and laughed through every rehearsal. The scope of this production has exceeded my expectations, and I cannot wait for our audiences to see what we have created.”
Each of the three iconic stars were played by incredibly talented students from the College that perfectly embodied the role of their characters. Sophomore Sarah Fronheiser nailed the role of the ambitious and hilariously anxious Violet Newstead, junior Noah Gibson made the audience fall in love with Judy Burns, and junior Kaitlyn Mankevich perfected the signature accent, mannerisms, and personality of Doralee Rhodes.
“All three of the leads were such strong singers and performers. Any song that featured all three of their voices blending together was so good,” junior Isabel McCreary said.
Leading the music behind the musical was director and instructor of music Alexis Renee Ward, who will join the College’s faculty as assistant professor of practice in music in the fall. By incorporating an orchestra that was comprised of both student musicians and regional professionals into the performance, Ward elevated the production into a memorable evening of hard work and talent.
“It’s such a far-fetched story, but it really embodies the song 9 to 5 and how better working conditions are possible. It’s a very preposterous scenario, but it has that at the heart of it,” junior Liam Siobhan Luckey said.
Other notable performances include Max Hagan as the deplorable boss, Franklin Hart Jr., and senior Stevie Lyles as Roz Keith, stealing the show in her solo “Heart to Hart.”
Throughout the duration of the show, the amount of love and hard work poured into the final production was increasingly apparent. From the vibrant costumes, creative set design, and actors’ performances, every detail of the musical delighted audiences.
“I valued the shared experience of being creative together, singing, dancing, and most of all – laughing,” Smith said in her Director’s Note, “From the beginning, those qualities have lifted this group of talented people and carried them through the challenges that are inevitable with a project of this scope.”
For those that missed the opportunity to see the music department’s “9 to 5,” the next theatrical production will be “Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” a directing SCE by Isabel Bindewald, on April 3 and 4 in Tawes Theatre.
Photo Caption: The Department of Music presented “9 to 5: The Musical” with music by Dolly Parton on March 26, 27, and 28.
Photo by Ella Humphreys