Dolly Parton, Allison Janney, Megan Hilty and Stephanie J. Block were all on hand at the New 42nd Street Studios in NYC yesterday for a press conference to announce the opening date and theater home of 9 to 5: The Musical. Here are a few pics from yesterday’s event and some information on the show’s opening date:

The Marquis Theatre will be the Broadway home of the feisty office workers who are “just a step on the bossman’s ladder” in the Dolly Parton-Patricia Resnick musical comedy 9 to 5, producer Robert Greenblatt announced July 15. Following a fall run at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles (Sept. 3-Oct. 19, opening Sept. 20), the Joe Mantello-directed production will begin Broadway previews March 24, 2009, and open April 23, 2009. 9 to 5: The Musical, based on the 20th Century Fox motion picture, has book by original screenwriter Resnick (who also came up with the film’s original story) and music and lyrics by country music legend and seven-time Grammy Award winner Dolly Parton, who also starred in the smash 1980 movie. This marks the Broadway debut of the writers. Tony Award winner Andy Blankenbuehler (In the Heights) will choreograph. As previously announced, 9 to 5: The Musical will star four-time Emmy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Allison Janney as Violet, Stephanie J. Block as Judy, Megan Hilty as Dorelee, and two-time Tony Award nominee Marc Kudisch as Mr. Hart. (Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Parton and Dabney Coleman played the respective roles in the movie.) Here’s the plot: “When pushed to their boiling point by their boss, Franklin Hart Jr. (Marc Kudisch), Violet Newstead (Allison Janney), the super efficient office manager, Judy Bernly (Stephanie J. Block), a frazzled divorcee, and the sexy executive secretary Doralee Rhodes (Megan Hilty) turn the tables on him. The trio hatches a plan to get even with the sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot, and that plan quickly spins wildly and hilariously out of control.” Parton’s original score for 9 to 5: The Musical will include over 20 new songs as well as the Grammy Award-winning, Academy Award-nominated No. 1 Billboard title song. “Backwoods Barbie,” heard on Parton’s new album of the same name, is also part of the show’s score, Parton previously said.

Love it, love it, love it! I’m not sure what I’m more excited about … the 20-song catalog or the amazing casting. You may recall that I was able to interview Megan Hilty a few months ago and she talked about preparing for her role as Doralee Rhodes in 9 to 5: The Musical. I deffo plan on seeing this show when it goes into pre-previews this Fall here in SoCal. After the jump, check out some promo artwork that will be used for the show …

Again, I must confess that this is an absolute brills idea for a Broadway musical. Having Dolly Parton at the helm of the show’s music will ensure that it will be a huge success. This is great news for Broadway fans as well as fans of the original 1980 movie. I can’t wait to see it when it opens here in LA in September :)

[Photo credit: Wireimage; Source]