OKLAHOMA CITY – Classen School of Advanced Studies’ production of “9 to 5: The Musical” isn’t just an ode to big hair and shoulder pads. Students use the show’s late-70s office satire to wrestle with the sexism and workplace inequity they still see today.
Backstage, past paint-splattered floors and hallways lined with drama masks, performers shake out pre-show jitters with vocal warmups, last-minute audio checks, and tweaks to wigs and character shoes before stepping into the lights for the woman-led production.
Backed by music and lyrics from Dolly Parton, the Tony-nominated musical follows three women who band together to take down their chauvinistic boss. But for these students, the story feels less like a retro comedy and more like a glimpse into the world they are already beginning to navigate.
Classen SAS will stage the production March 5,6, and 7 at 7 p.m. and at 2 p.m. on March 7. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students and seniors, and $5 for Classen students.
Tackling adult themes on a high school stage
“9 to 5” is not an easy assignment for young performers, with its themes that include workplace harassment, exploitation and standing up to power. Director and educator Lauren Peck-Weisenfels said that challenge is exactly why she chose the show.
“It’s a very challenging show for the kids to do because it’s adult material,” she told Free Press in an interview. “But at Classen, we don’t shy away from challenges. We want to teach them how to approach difficult material in a healthy way at this age so that when they become working professionals in the very near future, they’re ready to face those challenges and advocate for themselves.”
Over the past several months, rehearsals have involved more than memorizing lines and choreography. Students have spent time unpacking the motivations and stereotypes behind the characters.
“We’ve spent a lot of time really studying how they need to approach these villainous characters, or these girls who are misconstrued,” Peck-Weisenfels said.
For her, those conversations extend beyond the stage.
“It’s really awesome to get to talk to them about this stuff because they’re at the age where they’re about to go into the workforce and face many of the things that so many women have faced over the years,” she said. “It’s nice to help them figure out their voice and how to advocate for themselves in the workplace.”
Behind the scenes, the production is student-driven. Technical director Kat Goss said the scale of the show makes that responsibility especially exciting.
“We have a fully student tech team, so all of our stage managers and deck chiefs, and audio and lighting are operated by students,” Goss said.
The orchestra is also fully student-run and performs onstage alongside the actors rather than in a pit. Costumes were designed through the school’s costume design classes, where students developed detailed character concepts before selecting clothing.
“I think that is something that is really cool and special about Classen,” Goss said. “We prioritize students operating and learning hands-on technical skills. This is kind of their moment to perform too.”
Female empowerment onstage and off
Fittingly for a show centered on women reclaiming power, the production team reflects that message.
“It is very cool that most of our production team is women,” Goss said.
That representation extends throughout the program, from student designers to technicians.
“Seeing everybody work together in fields that are typically male-dominated is really interesting and really cool,” she said.
Student performer Hadley Cornelson, who is one of two actors portraying Violet, said that leadership is visible throughout the production.
“Our show is run by women,” Cornelson said proudly. “From directors to stage management to the ensemble and even set construction.”
Her character, Violet, is the hyper-competent office veteran who keeps the company running but is passed over for promotion because she is a woman.
Judy, portrayed by Jessie Barton and Ella Wierick, enters the office newly divorced and searching for her first job.
“She’s never worked an office job,” Barton said about the character. “She faces, for the first time, a misogynistic workplace.”
Doralee, played by Ava Daniel and Lottie McBride, faces a different stereotype. She is dismissed and sexualized because of her appearance.
McBride said she hopes audiences see the message behind the character.
“You can dress how you want to and still overcome obstacles and reach your goals and be treated professionally,” she said.
Then there is the show’s villain, Franklin Hart Jr., played by Miles Bowman.
“He’s the worst,” Bowman said with a laugh. “Just a representation of the patriarchy.”
Though the musical is set nearly 40 years ago, the cast says its themes feel uncomfortably familiar.
“I think the story still correlates to right now, which is why it’s still a popular musical,” Barton said.
Other cast members made similar observations.
“Discrimination is happening everywhere we look,” Cornelson said. “It’s really important to show the community that the younger generation understands that this is still a problem that we’re facing.”
For Daniel, who recently turned 16, the show has been eye-opening.
“I’ve started to notice that this is still very much a real thing,” she said. “Sexism is very, unfortunately, still common.”
If sexism is the show’s antagonist, unity is its answer.
At the start of the musical, Violet, Judy and Doralee are boxed in by stereotypes about each other and themselves. As the story unfolds, those assumptions fall away.
“Those stereotypes are very easily broken,” Cornelson said. “As soon as we peel back the layers, we understand that it’s not her fault.”
‘Living the same life’
Milan McGill, who alternates playing Violet with Cornelson, said the characters only succeed when they work together.
“We achieve overcoming Hart only when the three of us join in unity,” she said. “We’re all kind of living the same life, even if we didn’t think we were.”
The production promises high-energy choreography, powerful vocals and a live orchestra, but beneath the showmanship runs a clear message of female empowerment.
“It’s important that people can see how powerful women are,” she said, “and how powerful high school students are to perform a show like this.”
For the students of Classen SAS, “9 to 5” is more than a comedy about overthrowing a terrible boss. The show has also offered lessons about not only the injustices in this world, but the possibilities of something better.
“It’s very empowering to see this show and understand that that’s not the way that it has to be,” Daniel said.
Zoe Elrod covers events and happenings around Oklahoma City for Free Press bringing her skill as a reporter and photographer. Zoe has spent her career covering local musicians, artists, politicians, and everyday folks.
