In 2008, Dolly developed a musical version of her 1980 hit movie "9 to 5." Dolly wrote all the music and lyrics herself and the dialog was adapted by Patricia Resnick. The musical had its first table reading in 2007 and did a test run in Los Angeles in 2008.
"9 to 5: The Musical" premiered on Broadway at the Marquis Theater on, April 7, 2009, and ran in New York from April until it closed in September after 24 preview showings and 148 normal performances. During its runs in LA and NY, the musical garnered 15 Drama Desk Award nominations and four Tony Award nominations including Best Original Score. After it closed shop on Broadway the show went on tour in the United States, the United Kingdom, and had several regional productions.
The "9 to 5: The Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording)" includes 18 tracks performed by the cast. The soundtrack was released on Dolly Records on, July 14, 2009. It earned a GRAMMY nomination for Best Musical Show Album.
Dolly had a specific plan for writing the songs for the Musical,
“I wanted it to be all that it could be…I wanted it to be what the story called for. I wanted each song to fit each character perfectly and fit the story line, as well and to have the songs to be singable and memorable.”
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Her plan worked well enough that she really found her groove,
"Once I got into it, I found I have a little knack for it because I've always loved telling stories… When you write for commercial radio, you have to keep it around three minutes and limit it to a couple verses and a chorus. But writing for the stage, I could just let my mind go."
Dolly’s song "Backwoods Barbie" was performed in the first act and is included on the Musical soundtrack.
Released in 1980, the feature film "9 to 5" tells the story of three female employees who plan to get even with their boss, who they utterly despise in every way imaginable.
The film was a huge hit at the time, grossing more than $3.9 million in its opening weekend in the U.S. It was a star vehicle for Dolly, an established singer and songwriter at the time. After the film’s release, Dolly was permanently launched into mainstream pop culture.
The film’s theme song, "9 to 5," was written by Dolly and become one of the biggest hits of the decade and her career. Certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, the song won two GRAMMY awards. It was nominated for another as was the album of the same title. Dolly was nominated for her first Academy Award, in the category of Best Music, Original Song, for "9 to 5" in 1981.
The film, "9 to 5," is No. 74 on the American Film Institute’s 100 Funniest Movies.
