Dolly Parton loves her '9 to 5' gig

Dolly Parton is at her most delightful when she's laughing at her own jokes. Perched on a leather chair in the den of producer Bob Greenblatt's gorgeous Craftsman home in the Hollywood Hills on a mild September day, the 62-year-old country music queen punctuated an interview about her work in "9 to 5: The Musical," premiering this weekend at the Ahmanson Theatre, with zingers she's admittedly used a hundred times before. She'd let forth a line -- "People always ask me if I'm offended by all the dumb blond jokes. I say no, because I know I'm not dumb, and I know I'm not blond!" -- and follow it immediately with a knowing peal of a giggle. The laughter was neither self-deprecating nor vain; it was her way of celebrating the joy of shtick.

By Ann Powers

September 21, 2008