Photo Credit: Traveling Lemur Productions
NINE the Musical derives its name from the nine women that make up the cast of this Broadway musical—re-imagined by Theater RED and director Eric Welch—inspired by Federico Fellini’s movie 8 1/2. The main character, Guido Contini (Timothy J. Barnes), is a man defined by the women in his life, from his mother and his wife to his mistress as well as his producer, an acidic critic and the prostitute who made him discover sex as a schoolboy.
Guido is a famous film director whose inspiration dried up while urgently trying to deliver a script for his next movie. He tries to escape to a spa in Venice with his wife Luisa (Rae Elizabeth Paré), but all the women he depends on find him there as the deadline for his movie approaches and his career hangs in the balance. The play is clever and appears to be the script that Guido is struggling to write: Guido’s critic accuses his films of being self-indulgent and salacious, yet visually stunning, and his producer demands that his next movie be a musical, entertaining and with impressive dance numbers. NINE the Musical is definitely all of these things. The play is overflowing with energy, humor and sensuality. It also has an interesting story served by a professional cast, as well as an efficient score, all of which are masterfully presented to the public in the Sunset Playhouse’s comfortable studio in Elm Grove.
For music aficionados, each actor and actress has an amazing singing voice, and there is virtually no spoken parts as the play is almost entirely told through songs. As such, some songs like “Be Italian” or Luisa’s “My Husband Makes Movies” are exceptional, both for the quality of their lyrics and the powerful performances offered on stage. Luisa’s song, in particular, unveils the psyche of Guido’s wife, starting as an answer to a journalist before turning into an introspective piece showing us her personality, aspirations and dreams, which were snatched away when she chose to marry, and which she now direly regrets.
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Like Luisa, all nine women have their moments in the limelight and character development before fading back into the ensemble. Unlike what one could expect from nine attractive women surrounding a Don Juan-inspired womanizer, they all have depth and complexity. Through this cast, NINE sheds light on the importance of women by showing how these numerous voices fed Guido’s artistic genius and shaped the man he became.
