Character guide
Doralee Rhodes
from 9 to 5: The Musical
Doralee Rhodes is the warm, often underestimated secretary at the center of 9 to 5: The Musical, a role originally inspired by Dolly Parton's own film performance.
- Show
- 9 to 5: The Musical
- Broadway premiere
- 2009
- Role
- Lead
- Music by
- Dolly Parton
Doralee Rhodes: from the film to Broadway
Broadway compared with the 1980 film
Doralee is the part Dolly Parton played herself: the 1980 film was her movie debut, as Frank Hart's married secretary, the target of his harassment and of an office rumor that the two are having an affair. For the stage, Parton wrote the whole score, and Megan Hilty originated Doralee on Broadway in 2009.
The musical gives Doralee a song the film does not have, Backwoods Barbie, in which she reflects on being seen as just a pretty face. The key beats carry over: in both versions she snaps and ties Hart up when he threatens to report the women, and she ends up leaving Consolidated to become a country singer (the musical's epilogue sends her to Nashville). Natalie McQueen played her in the 2019 West End production.
Who is Doralee Rhodes?
Doralee works for the domineering Franklin Hart Jr. and spends much of the story fending off both his advances and the office gossip that assumes she is having an affair with him. Beneath the big hair and bright personality is a woman who simply wants to be respected for her work rather than judged on rumor and appearance.
Her friendship with coworkers Violet and Judy becomes the emotional backbone of the musical, as the three women realize they have far more in common than the office politics initially suggest, and together they take matters into their own hands.
Playing Doralee on stage
As one of the show's three leads, Doralee requires a performer with a bright, country-inflected voice and comic instincts sharp enough to sell both her sweetness and her steel. The role rewards someone who can find the character's genuine kindness without losing her backbone.
Because the score was written by Dolly Parton herself, Doralee's songs carry an authentic country flavor that sets her apart vocally from her castmates, and performers often relish the chance to bring that twang to a Broadway stage.
Doralee Rhodes: frequently asked questions
What show is Doralee Rhodes from?
Doralee Rhodes is a lead role in 9 to 5: The Musical, which opened in 2009.
Who wrote the music for 9 to 5?
Dolly Parton composed the music and lyrics for the show.
Is Doralee Rhodes a lead or supporting role?
Doralee is one of the three lead roles, alongside Violet Newstead and Judy Bernly.
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