Diana gained overnight fame, at age 16, as a runner-up on the third season of television's No. 1 series, ''American Idol''. ''9 to 5: The Musical'' is playing at the Bank of America Theatre for 2 weeks beginning January 18.
(RELEASE) Broadway In Chicago is thrilled to announce that the Tony Award and Drama Desk nominated 9 to 5: The Musical will come to the Bank of America Theatre for a limited two week engagement, January 18 - 30, 2011.
9 to 5: The Musical was nominated for four 2009 Tony Awards including Original Score and received a record-breaking 15 Drama Desk nominations including Outstanding Musical. This new musical comedy, direct from Broadway, is based on the hit movie and features Dolly Parton's original hit title song along with her new Tony Award and Grammy- nominated score.
9 to 5: The Musical marked the Broadway debut of seven-time Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter and musician Dolly Parton as composer and lyricist. "I couldn't have asked for a better experience on my first Broadway show," said Dolly Parton. "I've had the privilege of working with an amazing group of people who have become like family to me. I can't wait for this show to hit the road so people across the country can see why I'm so proud of everyone involved."
9 to 5: The Musical is a hilarious story of friendship and revenge in the Rolodex era. This is the story of three unlikely friends who conspire to take control of their company and learn there's nothing they can't do -- even in a man's world. Outrageous, thought-provoking and even a little romantic, 9 to 5: The Musical is about teaming up and taking care of business... it's about getting credit and getting even. WOR Radio said 'You will love this show! 9 to 5 is a real 10!" Other reviewers agree. The Associated Press calls it "A certified crowd pleaser!" and the Daily News sums it up by saying "it shines! Dolly Parton's songs are bouncy, big hearted, fresh & original. If you're looking for a diversion, 9 to 5 will do the trick from 8 to 10:15!"
9 to 5: The Musical's book is by Patricia Resnick (co-writer of the original screenplay). The touring production will be directed and choreographed by Tony nominated, Jeff Calhoun. "I met Dolly Parton as a chorus kid dancing in the film 'The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas' only a few years after '9 to 5' was already a hit movie. It was a thrill to work with her then and an honor and privilege to be entrusted to direct and choreograph this exciting new tour of 9 to 5: The Musical" said Mr. Calhoun. The co- choreographer is Lisa Stevens, scenic design by Ken Foy, costume design by five time Tony Award winner, William Ivey Long, lighting design by Tony Award and Drama Desk Award winner, Ken Billington, music supervision by Stephen Oremus and casting by Telsey Company.
9 to 5: The Musical begins performances on January 18, 2011 at Bank of America Theatre and will run through January 30, 2011. Individual tickets are on sale now and range in price from $32 to $95. Tickets are available at all Broadway In Chicago Box Offices (24 W. Randolph St., 151 W. Randolph St., 18 W. Monroe St. and 175 E. Chestnut St.), the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Kiosk at Water Tower Place (845 N. Michigan Ave.), the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line at (800) 775-2000, all Ticketmaster retail locations (including Hot Tix and select Carson Pirie Scott, Coconuts and fye stores), and online at BroadwayInChicago.com. For groups of 10 or more, call (312) 977-1710.
- Performance schedule for 9 to 5: The Musical is as follows:
- Tuesday, January 18 at 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, January 25 at 7:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, January 19 at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, January 26 at 2:00 and 7:30 p.m.
- Thursday, January 20 at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, January 27 at 7:30 p.m.
- Friday, January 21 at 8:00 p.m. Friday, January 28 at 8:00 p.m.
- Saturday, January 22 at 2:00 and 8:00 p.m. Saturday, January 29 at 2:00 and 8:00 p.m.
- Sunday, January 23 at 2:00 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, January 30 at 2:00 p.m.
For more information about 9 to 5: The Musical, visit 9to5themusical.com or BroadwayInChicago.com
BIO
Diana Nicole DeGarmo (born June 16, 1987) is an American singer and Broadway actress. She finished as the runner up on the third season of the reality/talent search television series American Idol, narrowly missing the win by about 2 percent out of over 65 million votes. At 16, DeGarmo was the second youngest contestant among the set of finalists in the third season after John Stevens; she was a junior at Shiloh High School in Snellville, Georgia. DeGarmo still remains the youngest contestant to ever make the top 2 in all 9 seasons of Idol.
Early life
DeGarmo was born in Birmingham, Alabama, but was raised primarily in Snellville, Georgia, where she attended Crews Middle School. DeGarmo sang publicly from a young age, including at the 1997 Georgia Music Hall of Fame Awards and in stage productions of Annie and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in Atlanta. As a third grade student, she was a Coca- Cola Kid during the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. The next year, she sang at Opryland USA during the Christmas holiday season. In 2002, she was named Miss Teen Georgia and was a finalist on the NBC talent search program America's Most Talented Kid. At ten years of age, DeGarmo was one of the "Cartoon Network"'s Cartoon Gang and appeared in various segments for the network, discussing cartoons. She also appeared in various telefilms during her childhood. DeGarmo is niece to Eddie DeGarmo of DeGarmo & Key.
American Idol
DeGarmo took part in the third season of American Idol in 2004, finishing second after a close race with winner Fantasia Barrino. DeGarmo was known for her ability to perform songs with ease at such a young age. She started off as the first contestant to perform in the top 32, and was the second voted into the finals, after eventual winner Fantasia Barrino. However, she ended up in the bottom 3 in three of the first five weeks of the finals, although on all three occasions she was the first person out of the bottom group to be declared safe. Starting from the top 7, she was never in the bottom group again, gradually becoming one of the front runners in the competition. Ironically, she became the only person from season three who was never placed in the bottom 2, despite being in the bottom 3 (as the third lowest vote- getter) three times. DeGarmo was signed to RCA Records/19 Records shortly after the Idol finale and released the single, "Dreams," on June 29, 2004. The song was co-written by songwriter Chris Braide, who also co-wrote "This Is the Night" for Clay Aiken. It includes two other songs: her version of "I Believe", co-written by former Idol contestant Tamyra Gray, and a remake of Melissa Manchester's "Don't Cry Out Loud". She participated in a summer tour with Idol finalists during the summer of 2004, which included a show in Singapore in October 2004. DeGarmo's debut album, titled Blue Skies, was released on December 7, 2004, to opening week sales of 47,000. The album debuted at No.52 on the Billboard chart. As of October 2008, the album had sold 168,000 copies.[3] Her single "Emotional"--again co-written by Chris Braide, Desmond Child and Andreas Carlsson-- peaked at No. 54 on the Mediabase Pop Chart. She toured independently in 2005 in support of Blue Skies and appeared on the soundtrack for the Disney movie Ice Princess, singing "Reaching for Heaven", written by Desmond Child. RCA released her from her recording contract in June, 2005. DeGarmo began recording a pop/R&B album in 2007 however she backed out of the project after it took a detour she did not want to take.After filming CMT's Gone Country in late 2007, DeGarmo decided to return to her country roots and relocated to Nashville. She signed to John Rich's production company and recorded a country demo with him in 2008. In early 2009, DeGarmo released an acoustic EP entitled "Unplugged in Nashville". The EP contains 4 songs cowritten by DeGarmo and is currently available at her live shows and at online retailers such as iTunes, Amazon, etc. One of the songs, "Thank You", can be streamed from DeGarmo's MySpace page. The EP serves as a taste of what is to come from DeGarmo on her second full length album. DeGarmo continues to co-write and perform new songs at live shows in and around the Nashville area. In October 2010, DeGarmo released two new songs titled "Things That Drive a Girl Crazy" and "All Over Again"Musical theatre As a child, DeGarmo performed in productions of Annie and Joseph and the Amazing Techicolor Dreamcoat in Atlanta, Georgia. She made her stage debut in a lead role as Maria in an American Musical Theatre of San Jose production of West Side Story in November 2005. Auditions for Hairspray and Brooklyn: The Musical followed shortly thereafter. DeGarmo made her Broadway debut in a four-month run in Hairspray as nerdy character Penny Pingleton in February 2006, impressing audiences with her comedic prowess. She also performed the lead role of Brooklyn in the 2006 national tour of Brooklyn: The Musical alongside one of her idols, Melba Moore. DeGarmo returned to Broadway's Hairspray for a second engagement from September 2006 to February 2007. She made her Carnegie Hall debut in April 2007. DeGarmo was set to star alongside Tony Award nominee Gavin Creel in the Broadway revival of Godspell at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, but on August 19, 2008, it was announced that the show was postponed indefinitely due to the loss of an investor.[8] In February 2009 she starred as Dorothy in a tour of Oz the Musical, a contemporary version of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, but left the tour after its first leg in February 2009.[9] DeGarmo then starred in the musical revue Back to Bacharach and David featuring the songs of Burt Bacharach and Hal David in Los Angeles from April 15 to May 17, 2009 at the Music Box at Fonda on Hollywood Boulevard.[10] In July 2009, she starred as the narrator in the Oklahoma Lyric's Theatre production of Joseph and the Amazing Techicolor Dreamcoat alongside Idol alum Anthony Federov.[11] Debuting August 14, 2009, DeGarmo played the role of Sarah, the sexy, blind librarian and love interest of Toxie in the Off-Broadway musical, The Toxic Avenger[12] until its closing on January 3, 2010. DeGarmo performed in a musical concert for In Your Dreams in early October 2006, a new musical said to have a similar plot to High School Musical. In 2009, she played the title role in a concert for Liberty: A New Musical at the New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) and played the role of Chris in the much anticipated reading of an updated Carrie: The Musical. She most recently starred as Sheila in the Broadway company of Hair until the show's closure on June 27, 2010. Upon the show's closure, DeGarmo decided to return to her home in Nashville. She succeeded original cast member Caissie Levy beginning March 9, 2010. Degarmo is currently originating the role of Doralee Rhodes in the national tour of 9 to 5, which launched September 21, 2010 in Nashville. DeGarmo appears on musical theatre composer Scott Alan's third album, "What I Wanna Be When I Grow Up" with the song "I Wish, released November 1, 2010.
Theatre Credits Type Role Year West Side Story Regional Maria 2005 Hairspray Broadway Penny Pingleton 2006–2007 Brooklyn: The Musical National tour Brooklyn 2006 Back to Bacharach and David Regional Performer 2009 Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Regional Narrator 2009 The Toxic Avenger Musical Off-Broadway Sarah 2009–2010 Hair Broadway Sheila Franklin 2010 9 to 5: The Musical National tour Doralee Rhodes 2010–2011
Other activities
DeGarmo is a proud supporter of US troops and participated in a USO tour in December 2005-
January 2006. She entertained troops in Southwest Asia on a tour hosted by General Peter Pace.
Her song "Thank You" is inspired by this trip. She also supports and performs in fundraisers for a
number of charitable organizations both nationally and locally, including Broadway Cares/Equity
Fights Aids.
In late 2007/early 2008, DeGarmo participated as a Southern celebrity in television ads for the
Zaxby's restaurant chain. She also appeared as a guest voice on The Fairly OddParents "Fairy
Idol" episode as Cosmo after Cosmo watches "How to Sing Like Diana DeGarmo".
Awards and charts
DeGarmo's first single, "Dreams", debuted at No. 2 in record sales and went No. 1 on the Billboard US
Singles Sales Chart.
On September 17, 2005, DeGarmo received the Horizon Award at the Georgia Music Hall Of
Fame Awards ceremony. The award recognizes Georgia artists on the path to successful and
lengthy careers.
