Bigfork Summer Playhouse to open two plays this week

The Bigfork Summer Playhouse is hitting homeruns this week with their production of “Damn Yankees” and stirring up some laughs with “9 to 5.”

Based on the 1980s hit movie with the same title, “9 to 5” is a lively musical. Three women, an overworked office manager, a jilted wife, and an objectified secretary, conspire to get rid of their smarmy boss and begin making woman-friendly changes to their office and workplace.

This show features 16 musical numbers in southern accents and some not

The musical “9 to 5” features a rollicking score by Dolly Parton, seven-time Grammy Award winner, plus a clever script by the original screenwriter, Patricia Resnick.

The show features scenic design by Nicholas Graves and costumes by Nicole Zausmer. An all female creative team-Jennifer Poarch (director), Janie Wallace (choreographer) and Katie Holmes (Musical Director)-with an exceptional cast bring this exhilarating show to life at the Bigfork Summer Playhouse.

Violet Newstead (Craven), the super-efficient office manager, joins two of her coworkers, frazzled divorcée Judy Bernly (Mettra) and sexy secretary Doralee Rhodes (Janson), to turn the tables on their “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical, bigot” of a boss, Franklin Hart, Jr. (Heuer).

In an uproarious turn of events, Violet, Judy and Doralee create their wildest fantasy, inadvertently removing Hart from the workplace. While Hart remains “hung up somewhere,” the women transform their workplace and rise to the top of a corporation that once viewed them as second-class citizens.

“Damn Yankees” is a hit Broadway musical filled with baseball players, a steamy seductress and a desperate real estate salesman.

Joe Boyd is a typical middle-aged man who is addicted to baseball. Every baseball season is painful for him because his team, the Washington Senators, always loses to the Yankees. Joe ends up making a pact with the Devil that allows Joe Boyd to turn into the slugger, Joe Hardy.

Hardy becomes the savior of the Washington Senators and a star in the Major Leagues.

The problem is that Joe has also agreed to let the Devil have his soul. Luckily, the deal included an escape clause that allows him to return back to his normal life.

After great success as a baseball player and various attempts by the Devil to convince Joe to remain young, Joe decides to return to his wife.

“9 to 5” opens June 2 and “Damn Yankees” opens June 5, both plays run all summer.

Call the box office and check out the summer playhouse website, bigforksummerplayhouse.com, for more information.