Stage version of ‘9 to 5’ will premiere in L.A.

Stage version of ‘9 to 5’
will premiere in L.A.

NEW YORK — Dolly Parton’s stage version of “9 to 5,” the 1980 film in which she starred with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, has found a home. The show, which has a score by Parton and a book by Patricia Resnick, will have its world premiere in September at the Center Theatre Group’s Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. It opens Sept. 21, 2008, according to CTG’s artistic director Michael Ritchie. Preview performances begin Sept. 3 for a run through Oct. 19, 2008. The musical will star Allison Janney in the Tomlin role, Stephanie J. Block in Fonda’s part and Megan Hilty in Parton’s role as a sexy executive secretary. The plot concerns three office workers who plot against their sexist boss, who will be played by Marc Kudisch. The musical will be directed by Joe Mantello, the director of “Wicked” and the current Broadway revival of Terrence McNally’s “The Ritz.” No word yet on whether the production will transfer from Los Angeles to Broadway, but Ritchie said, “It has the potential.”

Flatley will perform
on ‘Dancing With Stars’

NEW YORK — Michael Flatley will take the stage on ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” next week. Flatley, 49, is the former star of the Irish dance spectacle “Riverdance.” He has gone on to create his own shows, “Lord of the Dance,” “Feet of Flames” and “Celtic Tiger.” The champion Irish step dancer-choreographer will perform with members of his dance team on Tuesday’s show, Scott Gorenstein, a representative for Flatley, said Thursday.

Havel writes first play
since leaving office

PRAGUE, Czech Republic — The play is about the leader of an unspecified country who leaves politics after many years in power and has to adjust to a new life. Its author may know a thing or two about the subject matter: He’s Vaclav Havel, the dissident playwright who led Czechoslovakia’s Velvet Revolution and went on to become president. Havel, who stepped down in 2003, has returned to his original vocation with his first new play in almost 20 years. “Leaving” goes on sale Monday in the Czech Republic and will have its premiere in June at Prague’s Na Vinohradech theater. The playwright readily acknowledges that his time as president influenced the writing of his five-act play but insists it isn’t autobiographical, saying he started working on it in the 1980s at time he couldn’t even dream of being president.

Neville Brothers
will close jazz festival

NEW ORLEANS — The Neville Brothers are returning to New Orleans next year to assume the role they held for more than a decade — the closing act of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. It will be the group’s first hometown performance since Hurricane Katrina struck Aug. 29, 2005, flooding 80 percent of New Orleans and scattering the four brothers across the country. Art, 69, is the only one living in New Orleans since Katrina. Charles, 68, is living in the Northampton, Mass., area; Cyril, 59, is in Austin, Texas; and Aaron, 66, is in Nashville, Tenn. New Orleans native Harry Connick Jr. and his 18-piece orchestra closed this year’s festival. Organizers also announced they are restoring Next year’s Jazz Fest dates are April 25-27 and May 1-4. Tim McGraw will close the festival’s first weekend on Sunday, April 27.

Today’s birthdays

Actress Brenda Vaccaro is 68. Actress Linda Evans is 65. Country singer Jacky Ward is 61. Actor Jameson Parker is 60. Singer Graham Parker is 57. Comedian Kevin Nealon is 54. Singer Kim Wilde is 47. Rock musician Kirk Hammett (Metallica) is 45. Rock singer Tim DeLaughter is 42. Actor Owen Wilson is 39. Singer Duncan Sheik is 38. Actress Chloe Sevigny is 33. Country singer Jessi Alexander is 31. Rapper Fabolous is 28.