Beetlejuice Songwriter Eddie Perfect Books His Next Acting Gig in the Australian Premiere of 9 to 5

Eddie Perfect is working 9 to 5 and 5 to 9! The busy actor and songwriter, who made a double Broadway debut this past season with his scores to King Kong and Beetlejuice, will return to acting next month with a role in the hit musical 9 to 5. Perfect will play Franklin Hart Jr. in the musical's upcoming Australian premiere at the Sydney Lyric Theatre beginning on April 19. He'll continue in the role during the show's Melbourne staging at Her Majesty's Theatre starting on July 25.

One of Australia's most prolific writers and performers, Perfect is known on the acting front his turn as Mick Holland during six seasons of the hit series Offspring. On stage, he has performed in Keating! The Musical, Misanthropology, The Threepenny Opera and Shane Warne The Musical, the latter of which he also wrote. In 2019, Perfect wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway premiere of Beetlejuice, for which he was nominated for Best Original Score at the 2019 Tony Awards. In 2018, his score to the new musical King Kong was also heard on Broadway, marking his main-stem debut.

Perfect will appear in 9 to 5 alongside the previously announced Caroline O'Connor as Roz Keith, Marina Prior as Violet Newstead, Samantha Dodemaide as Judy Bernly and Erin Clare as Doralee Rhodes. 9 to 5 features a Tony-nominated score by Parton and a book by the iconic movie's original screenwriter Patricia Resnick. The production will be directed by Tony nominee Jeff Calhoun.

"I'm beyond excited to return to the Australian stage in Dolly Parton's hilarious 9 to 5 The Musical," said Perfect in a statement. "Having spent the last two years in New York City, the chance to return home and share a stage with my theatrical heroes Caroline O'Connor and Marina Prior (not to mention the sensational Erin Clare and Samantha Dodemaide) was just too good to pass up. 9 to 5 is a powerhouse comedy for four strong female leads that couldn't come at a better time. The future is female, and I'm just thrilled to tag along for the ride."