Eddie Perfect cast as bad boss Franklin Hart Jnr in Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 musical in Melbourne
After taking New York by storm with two hit Broadway productions, Eddie Perfect is heading back to Melbourne for a major role in Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 musical — and it will be the star like you have never seen him.
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The chance to play the not-so-perfect boss is a dream come true for Eddie Perfect.
After two years in New York where he has composed the music and lyrics for Broadway musicals King Kong and Beetlejuice, Perfect is coming home to play Franklin Hart Jr in Dolly Parton’s hit musical, 9 to 5.
“Comedy, for me, has always been a weapon so I was super excited to play this guy who is not only a dinosaur and completely unaware, but he’s also so sad,” Perfect said.
“He just doesn’t understand how the world has moved on and thinks he’s entitled to his power. He’s so delirious that he doesn’t see it being taken away from him.”
Perfect is already working on new projects in New York but is keen to perform again after an absence from the stage for many years.
When he was invited to read the script of 9 to 5 he thought it would be great fun and he also quickly connected to Parton’s musical score.
The chance to work with Marina Prior and Caroline O’Connor were added drawcards.
“Those guys are my heroes and to work with them in a female-driven comedy just makes me so grateful to have this amazing reason to come back to Australia,” he said.
“I feel like it could have been hard to laugh at 9 to 5 when the film came out in the 1980s because sexual harassment was not being reported and bullies were getting away with it but now we’re seeing extraordinarily powerful men come undone because of those acts and it’s the perfect time for an audience to laugh at it.”
Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 the Musical is at Her Majesty’s Theatre from July 25.
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