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Nine
*NINE-Roundabout Theatre
Company
Eugene O'Neill Theatre
Book by Arthur Kopit, Music &
Lyrics by Maury Yeston.
Starring Antonio Banderas, Jane
Krakowski
Mary Stuart Masterson, and Chita Rivera.
Directed by David Leveaux
Choreographed by Jonathan
Butterell
Music Direction by Kevin Stites
NINE THE MUSICAL
Musical revivals can be a
tricky investment and creation for any broadway director, producer, and
their production team. Why you ask?
Attached to a revival's new
vision is it's past history. There are people in the audience who may have
seen the original production, or its various incarnations of this musical.
They already have in their minds the original blueprint. These are the
ones that will be the hardest to convince or please when bringing a
revival back to the stage boards.
A revival must somehow bring
reinvigorated life, meaning, purpose, and energy to its book and score. To
find new shades and colors that was not exposed in its original birth.
Director David Leveaux's new
revival of the Tony Award winning musical NINE at the Eugene O'Neill has
succeeded here with astonishing splendor.
NINE (based on Fellini's
classic film, 8 1/2) was originally directed and choreographed by the
towering Texan Tommy Tune, it went on to earn five Tonys including Best
Musical, beating out Micheal Bennett's DREAMGIRLS.
Having seen two previous
productions of NINE, I have always felt that the second act seemed to be
out of focus, not being clear and concise on its intent and emotionak
arch. Leveaux somehow knew this, thus with his resonant direction he has
brought that uneven act into total focus and exposing raw, painful
emotions that was lacking before.
Leveaux has an effulgent and
imposing set by Scott Pask to work his incredible subtext with his
blocking & staging, giving the piece animalistic, emotional focus to many
scenes that are to be applauded.
There many scenes that contain
Leveaux's beautiful "emotional subtext" staging, where one emotion or
theme is being explored by the music, but there may be a performer blocked
slightly away, providing the audience with a whole different subplot.
You know you're in for a
special and unique theatrical experience from its NINE's moment. Casing
the front of the stage is a massive, white film screen, framed in silver.
It rises to reveal Guido (Antonio Banderas) standing over a marble, round
table. Surrounding this table are clear, crystal chairs. Then we hear a
singular loud, church bell ring. Then slowly, with delicious attitude and
presence, 16 women from Guido's life come down the long, winding silver
staircase. This moment is both elegant and divine!
Yeston's lush, slightly
operatic score remains intact for this production. Only one major number
was cut from its sister incarnation, called "The Germans At The Spa". It
was an added bonus to hear live strings flowing from the pit instead
having them being created by electronic crap that seems to creep up in
orchestra pits.
In the original, the set was
made of white tiles, in which 32 small, white boxes (also in tile) were
placed for the women of the cast.
For its revival, scenic
designer Scot Pask has designed a set that is slick, chic, classic, and
extravagant. Here Pask has created a two level set, with sand and marble
colored stairs, milky, frosted glass doors, and a swirling silver chrome
staircase. Behind all this is a glorious, towering mosaic painting of
three women, done in various tiles.
For Act Two, the middle floor
is taken out, then during this second act, the above mentioned tile wall
began to release and cascade water! From center stage, water also begins
to gush and pour out as well! This live element added both humor and
purpose to the emotions and performances on stage. It baffles me that
Pask's breath taking scenic design was not nominated for a Tony this year.
Brian MacDevitt's lighting is
haunting, alive, and vibrant. He has created various special designs of
light for soloists or for the company numbers that added another layer of
sheer pleasure for the production.
This year's Tony awards
committee grossly overlooked Vicki Mortimer's costumes awards! Her designs
seem to have popped straight from the 1960's Paris runways or elegant
fashion houses of long ago designers.
The costumes are from the color
wheel of blacks, grays, and whites.
She does add color for the
"Grand Canal" costumes and to Rivera's chic "Tango" costume that does
contain a hint of hot pink.
Mortimer's design for
Krakowski's mini dress is perfect non-verbal communication for the
audience. It is a see-through sheath that is covered in beads and
rhinestones that comes alive like a second skin for Krakowski.
And then there's that cast!
Talk about an audience's dream come alive!
The lone adult male in the
company is film star Antonio Banderas, who actually has a theatrical
background with the National Theater of Spain acting company. Banderas is
also no stranger to musicals, what with his Golden Globe nod for EVITA,
and the constant buzz of him playing the title role in Joel Schumacher's
film version of Webber's PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.
As "Guido", the promiscuous
Italian film director who seems to have slept with more women than Wilt
Chamberlain, Banderas is perfectly cast. With his chisel, matinee good
looks and hot sexual aura, you can see why these women have risked both
marriages and careers for this man. Banderas coyly gives Guido this
innocent child like behavior when he is caught with these women, as though
he is getting his hand slapped for opening the cookie jar!
The film actor also comes
equipped with a solid grasp on his comic timing, phrasing, and delivery
that had the Saturday matinee audience guffawing out loud.
But when it came to the dark,
raw, intense scenes-both in book and score-here's where Banderas shines
the best. Banderas acting craft within these dark scenes is a perfect
reason why live theater is truly the best art form to view and appreciate.
During Guido's second act
collapse of career, women, and love is a black, bleak arch that is written
into the role, which Banderas devours like a starved, raving panther on a
feline zebra. His scene work with his primary ladies (Rivera, Krakowski,
and Masterson) is emotionally powerful and heavyhearted. During his last
two solos, Banderas lets his heart bleed before you, his eyes feel with
honest tears, that he gasps for air in trying to control his singing and
still push forth volume, resulting in being so in the moment that makes
you adore live theater so much.
Vocally, here again this latin
film star has done his homework. He actually sounds much better here than
on the film tracks of EVITA.
His robust vibrato and volume
fills the O'Neill theater. His ability to go from falsetto to lower
register notes without a break in the transgression is sublime. He gives a
magnetic performance that will stay on your mind for years to come.
Broadway legend Chita Rivera
returns to the great white way in the role of "Lilian La Fleur", and from
the reaction of Saturday's audience, they were damn happy she has returned
home!
At the very beginning of the
musical, Rivera's first entrance is an acknowledgement to the audience,
slithering down center stage, with a bright spotlight on her. She stands
there, bathed in this glowing light, dressed in black satin and beads, she
purrs "Bon Jour" to the audience, and for what seemed like an eternity,
the audience simply screamed, cheered, and applauded to a deafening roar
for this icon of the American theater, and richly deserved if I say so
myself.
Rivera portrays Guido's film
producer who used to be Folies showgirl, a Grande dame of french descent
who is demanding a script and a hit from her most famous client.
Her big number is "Folies
Bergeres", which Rivera delivers with such indispensable stage presence
and energy, you almost can feel the gels melting on the light instruments!
Choreographer Jonathan Butterell has added a special "tango" for Rivera
and Banderas to perform. The end result is a red-hot duet of Rivera's
luscious gams wrapping around Banderas that had the audience applauding
loudly with approval.
Rivera is both perspicacious
and exhilarating!
Jane Krakowski portrays
"Carla", Guido's sex kitten mistress. While many know her as "Elaine" from
TV's Ally McBeal, she is known to theater audiences from her work in GRAND
HOTEL, which earned her a Tony nod.
Krakowski's gives a
hallucinating and provocative performance as this woman who truly does
love Guido so much, so much so that she even divorces her husband to free
her to marry Guido, only he wants none of that.
But wait till you see
Krakowski's rendition of "A Call From The Vatican". The lithe, toned body
of this gorgeous gal, with a blonde mane is thinly covered in white cloth,
which brings her down from the friggin rafters! She proceeds to sing with
sexual fire, using her body to full erotic effect on Banderas. But for the
grand finish, this white, billowing wrap takes Krakowski back up into the
fly rail space. Then, with her hanging upside down, she simply holds and
sustains a high soprano note in this position! This number alone can make
a gay man go straight!
But Krakowski also has one of
the best "non-verbal" scenes in act two. To see this woman notice that she
was fooled into loving the wrong man, to see that her passion and love
will not be reciprocated is devastating to watch unfold on stage.
Krakowski lets the audience witness the crumbling of her heart and soul
with such painful honesty, it is heartbreaking to say the least.
Mary Stuart Masterson is
assigned the role of "Luisa", Guido's wife.
Masterson is primarily known
also as a film star, but who knew that the gal had one hell of a singing
voice! We get to hear it in her first solo, "My Husband Makes Movies." She
has a clear, clean soprano voice that crests on a velvet vibrato that work
so well together.
Masterson's estimable acting
craft works wonders with both the score and book that creates a whole new
"Claudia" that will astonish you.
She digs deep into the subtext
of her lyrics that achieve to bring new emotions and insights within the
music that leaves you in tears.
Her two solos ("My Husband..."
and "Be On Your Own") are emotionally raw and naked with its organic
honesty.
Masterson's act two
tour-de-force aria "Be On Your Own" shows a wife refusing to deal with her
husband's indiscretions anymore. She's had enough of it all. Masterson's
face is awashed in tears as she sings from the inner depths of her broken
heart, causing many in the audience to quietly sob (including this
reviewer). Masterson is resplendent!
Delivering an outstanding
performance as well is Elena Shaddow as "Claudia", Guido's favorite
actress. The role is normally played by Laura Benanti, but alas she was
out at Saturday's performance.
Shaddow sang with dark,
sorrowful pathos on the song "Unusual Way", earning the audience's respect
and admiration.
This Venetian spa is
overflowing with splendid performances! There is Deidre Goodwin as "Our
Lady of The Spa"; Mary Beth Peil as "Guido's mother"; Saundra Santiago as
"Stephanie Necrophorus"; Nell Campbell as "Lina Darling"; Sara
Gettlefinger as "Maria"; and Linda Mugleston as "Olga Von Sturm".
The only slight disappointment
in performances was that of Myra Lucretia Taylor as "Saraghina". While
Taylor did do a fairly good job on the number, "Be Italian" (one of my
favorite songs in the score), Taylor seems to lack the sexual charged
eroticism that the role requires. The actress is just not seductive and
flirtatious enough.
Remember, this is the town
whore who seduced Guido at age nine!
NINE is a prurient revival that
is one of those rare occurrences that happens occasionally on the great
white way. In which a broadway revival has completely surpassed its
original production by its sheer force of brutal emotional strength,
scope, and structure.
RATING: A+
--John Garcia
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