Nine is a musical initiated by and with music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and a book by Arthur Kopit. Based on the film 8½, it tells the story of film director Guido Contini, who is dreading his imminent 40th birthday and facing a midlife crisis, which is blocking his creative impulses and entangling him in a web of romantic difficulties in early-1960s Venice.
Conceived and written and composed by Yeston as a class project in the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop in 1973, it was later adapted with a book by Mario Fratti, and then with another book by Arthur Kopit. The original Broadway production opened in 1982 and ran for 729 performances, starring Raul Julia. The musical won five Tony Awards (including Best Musical) and has enjoyed a number of revivals.
A film adaptation was released in 2009.
Plot Act I Guido Contini, a famous Italian film director, has turned forty and faces double crises: he has to shoot a film for which he can't write the script, and his wife of twenty years, film star Luisa del Forno, may leave him if he can't pay more attention to their marriage.
Luisa's efforts to talk to him are drowned out by voices in his head: voices of women in his life whom he has loved ("Overture delle Donne").
In an attempt to find some peace and save the marriage, they go to a spa near Venice ("Spa Music"), where they are immediately hunted down by the press with intrusive questions about their marriage and Guido's imminent film project, which he has not told Luisa about ("Not Since Chaplin").
As Guido struggles to find a story for his film, he becomes increasingly preoccupied, his interior world sometimes becoming indistinguishable from reality ("Guido's Song"). His mistress Carla arrives in Venice, calling him from her hotel room ("A Call from the Vatican"). His producer Liliane La Fleur, former vedette of the Folies Bergeres, insists he make a musical, an idea which veers off into a vivid fantasy ("The Script / Folies Bergeres"). All the while, Luisa watches, the resilience of her love being consumed by anxiety for him and a gathering dismay about their life together ("My Husband Makes Movies / Only With You").
In Guido's imagination, he encounters his mother bathing a nine-year-old boy—his own young self ("Nine"). The vision leads him to re-encounter a moment on a beach with Saraghina, a prostitute to whom he went as a curious child, sneaking out of his Catholic boarding school St. Sebastian, to ask her to tell him about love. Her answer, to be yourself ("Ti Voglio Bene / Be Italian"), and the dance she taught him reminds the forty-year-old Guido of the consequences of that night—punishment by the nuns and rejection by his mother ("The Bells of St. Sebastian"). Unable to bear the adults, the little boy runs back to the beach to find no one.
Act II Back into the present, Guido is on a beach once more. With him is Claudia Nardi, a film star and his muse, who has flown in from Paris for him; however, she does not want the role. He is enraged by her rejection. Claudia loves him but wants him to love her as a person and not a "spirit", which he cannot do. She calls him "My charming Casanova!", thereby involuntarily giving Guido the inspiration he needs ("A Man Like You"). Claudia lets him go ("Unusual Way"), Guido has an idea for a movie set on the Grand Canal and cast with every woman in his life ("The Grand Canal").
During the filming of the movie, Carla races onto the set to announce her divorce and her delight that they can be married, only to be rejected by Guido in his fixation on the film. Luisa is enraged and saddened by his use of their intimacy and her words as a source for the film. Guido keeps the cameras rolling, capturing the desolation of the women he loves ("Cut, Print!").
The film is dead. Carla leaves with a broken heart ("Simple"). Claudia sends a letter from Paris to say that she has married. Luisa ends their marriage ("Be On Your Own").
Guido is alone and directionless, contemplating suicide ("I Can't Make This Movie"). As the gun is at his head, he is interrupted by his nine-year-old self telling him it is time to grow up and move on, and Guido surrenders the gun ("Getting Tall"). The women return, this time to let him go, with the exception of Luisa ("Reprises"). Guido feels the aching void left by the only woman he will ever love. In the 2003 Broadway production, as the boy leads the women off, Luisa steps into the room on the final note, and Guido turns toward her.
Productions Workshop Originally conceived as a male/female cast, many of the changes into a mostly female cast occurred in a workshop rehearsed in the upstairs theatre at the New Amsterdam Theatre in late 1981. For their participation, the workshop cast was given a small percentage of the show for a limited amount of time. Kathi Moss was the only cast member of the original Broadway cast who did not participate in the workshop (Pat Ast played the role of Saraghina in the workshop).
Original Broadway production After nineteen previews, the Broadway production, directed by Tommy Tune and choreographed by Thommie Walsh, opened on May 9, 1982, at the 46th Street Theatre, where it ran for 729 performances. The cast included Raul Julia as Guido, Karen Akers as Luisa, Liliane Montevecchi as Liliane, Anita Morris as Carla, Shelly Burch as Claudia, Camille Saviola as Mama Maddelena, Kathi Moss as Saraghina, Cameron Johann as Young Guido, and Taina Elg as Guido's mother. Raul Julia played Guido for one year, from May 9, 1982, to May 8, 1983. (Bert Convy replaced Julia while he was on vacation for two weeks, beginning January 10, 1983.) Sergio Franchi starred as Guido for 330 performances, from May 9, 1983, to February 4, 1984, the date the production closed; composer Maury Yeston added a Franchi-style ballad, "Now Is the Moment", to the lovely Italian-sounding score.Arnold, Christine. "Franchi: Italian to the 'Nine.'" (May 21, 1984). Los Angeles Times Other replacements were Maureen McGovern and then Eileen Barnett as Luisa, Wanda Richert as Carla, Priscilla Lopez as Liliane, and Barbara Stock as Claudia. Once the original boys reached the required height for their roles, they were replaced by Derek Scott Lashine as Little Guido, Jeffrey Vitelli (also the understudy for Little Guido), Braden Danner, and Peter Brendon. The musical won five Tony Awards, including best musical and three Drama Desk Awards, including Best Music, Best Lyrics, and Best Musical. An original cast recording was released by Sony and was nominated for a Grammy Award. A Broadway revival was mounted in 2003.
National tour The original plans were for the Broadway show to continue even as the National tour commenced. However the new producers (James Nederlander and Zev Buffman) made the right offer for the road show, and the Broadway production was closed so that the whole Broadway cast could go on the road with Sergio Franchi as the headliner.Foil, David. (January 25, 1984). "En Harde / Notes from all over." The Advocate (Louisiana), Baton Rouge, LA Nineteen cities were originally planned, but several venue changes were made during the tour. The most prominent was the canceling of a Baton Rouge venue so that show could serve for the Grand Opening of the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera season. This was to accommodate the cancellation of On Your Toes after Leslie Caron (the star) was hospitalized due to a hip injury."'On Your Toes' Cancelled." (April 26, 1984). Los Angeles Times When the decision was made to close the road show after the San Francisco shows, Louisiana fans were upset that an alternate date had not been created for them. (Sergio Franchi was extremely popular in Louisiana.) The reviews were generally very favorable, although a DC reviewer lamented some production changes (although admitting that they had not viewed the original Broadway production)."'Nine': Fellini Sans Feeling." (April 13, 1984). The Washington Post, Washington, DC The production venue was changed from a spa to a railroad station, principally to accommodate the volume of scenery that needed to be transported from location to location.Sheward, David. (1994). It's a Hit! The Backstage Book of the Longest-Running Broadway Shows. (Watson-Guptil, New York). The other change lamented in DC was the lighting. One review of the Florida production acknowledged that the grey railroad station with light-studded arches may have been "even more surreal than its creators may have intended."Arnold, Christine. (May 21, 1984). "Franchi: Italian to the 'Nine'." Los Angeles Times In contrast, the San Diego reviewer expressed admiration for Marcia Madeira's "flattering light design" and declared "Nine" to be "wonderful to watch."Harper, Hillard. (July 14, 1984). "'Nine' in S.D. / Fox [theater] Tests Voices of Play's Cast." Los Angeles Times
1984 "Nine" – The National tour – Sergio Franchi starring as Guido Contini (although not a complete list, the following references were found): Washington, DC – Kennedy Center Opera House – April 4, 1984 through April 21, 1984"Performance / Mini Reviews." April 20, 1984). The Washington Post, Washington, DC Miami Beach, FL – Miami Beach Theater of Performing Arts – May 4, 1984 through May 17, 1984Advertisement. (May 3, 1984). The Miami News, Miami Beach, FL Los Angeles – Dorothy Chandler Pavilion Music Center - May 23, 1984 through June 1, 1984Drake, Sylvia. (May 26, 1984). "An Italian-Style 'Nine' Makes Points of its Own." Los Angeles Times Dallas, TX – Majestic Theater – June 5, 1984 through June 17, 1984"Dallas / Theater / 'Nine' at Dallas Majestic June 5–17." (June, 1984) Texas Monthly, (Ennis Publishing; Austin, TX) San Diego, CA - Fox Theater - July 2, 1984 through July 7, 1984 Seattle, WA - 5th Avenue Theater - July 10, 1984 through July 15, 1984Advertisement. (June 24, 1984). "'Nine' at the 5th Avenue July 10–15, 1984." The Seattle Times, Seattle, WA San Francisco, CA - Week of August 24, 1984No headline. (August 24, 1984). The Advocate (Louisiana), Baton Rouge, LA
London productions On June 7, 1992, the largest production of Nine to date was presented in concert in London at Royal Festival Hall with Jonathan Pryce, Becky Norman, Elizabeth Sastre, Ann Crumb, Kate Copstick, Meg Johnson and Liliane Montevecchi. 165 people were in the cast, including male characters, as originally conceived. The production was directed by Andrew MacBean and a recording of the concert (with Elaine Paige stepping in as Claudia) was released by RCA Victor.
On December 12, 1996, a small-scale production directed by David Leveaux and choreographed by Jonathan Butterell opened at the Donmar Warehouse, where it ran for three months. Performers included Larry Lamb (Guido Contini), Ian Covington (Young Guido), Sara Kestelman (Liliane La Fleur), Clare Burt (Carla), Eleanor David (Claudia), Susannah Fellows (Luisa), Jenny Galloway (Saraghina), Ria Jones (Stephanie Necrophorus), Dilys Laye (Guido's Mother), Kiran Hocking (Our Lady of the Spa). Other cast members included Emma Dears, Kristin Marks, Tessa Pritchard, Sarah Parish, Norma Atallah and Susie Dumbreck.Domar Warehouse production It was designed by Anthony Ward."Library Services - Information Services - University of Kent". Retrieved on 4 February 2017.
Broadway revival