Great thing to do after work this week

Diana DeGarmo ties up Michael Jenkins, boss at Dallas Summer Musicals


The First National Tour of
9 to 5: The Musical


Edited by Madelyn Miller, the TravelLady



The producers of 9 to 5: The Musical have announced the cast for the First National Tour, brought to the Music Hall at Fair Park by Dallas Summer Musicals, presented by Comerica Bank, May 18-29. Tickets, priced from $20-$85, are on sale now at The Box Office, 542 Preston Royal Shopping Center, or any Ticketmaster outlet; online at www.ticketmaster.com, or by calling 1-800-982-ARTS.

9 to 5: The Musical is a hilarious story of friendship and revenge in the Rolodex era. This is the 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.

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. For more information, visit www.9to5themusical.com.


Starring DEE HOTY MAMIE PARRIS JOSEPH MAHOWALD, KRISTINE ZBORNIK and DIANA DEGARMO

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.

The following shows are also part of the DSM 2011 season at the Music Hall at Fair Park. Pick A Packs that include any three DSM shows are still available, starting as low as $36. For more information, please visit www.dallassummermusicals.org.

STOMP, June 7-12, 2011. This one-week special returns to the Music Hall at Fair Park with new surprises! Explosive, provocative, sophisticated, sexy, and utterly unique, STOMP appeals to audiences of all ages.

MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT, June 14-26, 2011. The second coming of Broadway’s #1 Musical Comedy Smash, called “A No-Holds-Barred Smash Hit” by The New Yorker. The funniest show on earth is back to taunt Dallas for a second time. Winner of the 2005 Tony® Award for Best Musical, SPAMALOT, the musical comedy sensation lovingly ripped off from the film classic “Monty Python and The Holy Grail,” now returns to spread laughter and cheer throughout the kingdom.

GUYS AND DOLLS, July 19-31, 2011. Big League Productions is proud to announce a sparkling new production of the timeless Broadway classic, GUYS AND DOLLS. Set in Damon Runyon’s mythical New York City, this oddball romantic comedy—considered by many to be the perfect musical comedy—soars with the spirit of Broadway as it introduces us to the cast of vivid characters who have become legends in the canon. The New York Times calls it “The show that defines Broadway dazzle!”

WEST SIDE STORY, October 4-23, 2011, is also the 2011 State Fair of Texas musical. More than fifty years ago one musical changed theater forever. Now it's back, and mesmerizing audiences once again. From the first note to the final breath, WEST SIDE STORY soars as the greatest love story of all time. Directed by David Saint, using Tony Award-winning librettist Arthur Laurents’ Broadway direction, WEST SIDE STORY remains as powerful, poignant and timely as ever. The new Broadway cast album of WEST SIDE STORY recently won the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album. The Bernstein and Sondheim score is considered to be one of Broadway's finest and features such classics of the American musical theatre as "Something's Coming," "Tonight," "America," "I Feel Pretty" and "Somewhere."

“So exciting IT MAKES YOU ACHE WITH PLEASURE” –John Lahr, The New Yorker

Season sponsors for Dallas Summer Musicals, presented by Comerica Bank, are The Dallas Morning News, WFAA TV Channel 8, American Airlines, and Texas Instruments. For more information about DSM, visit their website at www.dallassummermusicals.org or call (214) 421-5678.

Madelyn Miller is a travel and food writer who loves musicals. Read her stories on www.travellady.com, www.carladynews.com, www.yogaaya.com, www.chcocolateatlas.com, www.cocktailatlas.com, www.coffeeatlas.com, www.teaAtlas.com