A Choreographer’s Nine

By Aidan O’Connor

How much should we sacrifice for our art? Who falls in our path of destruction? What happens when your art isn’t enough and you’re left with no one? Nine at the Kennedy Center directed by visionary choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler exposes these themes in a quasi-Italian Opera underscored musical by Arthur Kopit and Maury Yeston. The barebones direction of this classic Tony-winning show serves as an entry point into the world of Guido that the audience previously lacked.

A musical homage to the Federico Fellini Italian film, 8 ½ (1963), Nine originally graced Broadway stages in 1982, directed by the infamous Tommy Tune. Acclaimed Broadway Choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler (Hamilton) fills Tune’s talented shoes and brings Nine to a whole new generation. Following Guido Contini, a once lauded Italian film director who hasn’t had an artistic breakthrough in years, this show addresses the creative process and its consequences. A collection of the most talented performers on Broadway portray the many women in Guido’s life that control his every action as objects of his desire while highlighting his many flaws. Guido’s wife, Luisa (Elizabeth Stanley), feels the need to make excuses for her husband's infidelity and irrational behavior while he doesn’t consider her in the slightest. Guido does what he needs to for his art and for himself, nothing else.

A misogynistic show at its core, Nine takes on new meaning in the modern age. Blankenbuehler’s production was uniquely staged so the all female ensemble was controlling Guido’s life, instead of the other way around. The presence of the female conductor and orchestra on stage throughout the entire production brilliantly realized this theme through key points in the show when various female characters would conduct the seemingly orchestra when they were controlling Guido’s decisions. This breaking of the fourth wall allows audiences to see how this production is turning the story on its head, while staying true to the material.

Along with modernization of the material, Tony Winner Derek McLane’s simple, yet effective set design immerses audiences to see themselves in this far away Italian story. While lavish sets and props are extremely immersive, lately productions across the board have been moving towards this barebones approach. It works better with Nine than anywhere else by allowing the audience to focus on the story and the music of the show. The set marries the staging in Nine by the dimension the levels created by scaffolding in the set provide with simple furniture and gigantic sheer curtains sometimes used as costuming. The sound (Haley Parcher) and lighting design (Cory Pattack) tie in to create an aesthetically astounding experience that transports the audience.

The material itself has stood the test of time as one of the true great shows in musical theatre. Yeston’s music and lyrics walk the line between the themes of traditional Italian and core principles of music for the theatre to further immerse the audience in line with Blankenbuehler’s vision. The music could stand on its own without the book and still tell a fascinating story, something that shows the true artistry of Yeston’s work. The score’s ability to humanize such a large cast of supporting women through unique songs tailored to their character and vocal abilities sets Nine apart. In conjunction with an incredibly well paced book that balances tragedy and comedy like an opera, despite the largely background filled first act, this show keeps audiences attention from the beginning. Keeping track of each storyline gets muddied at times but perhaps that is just the point of the show, to put audiences inside Guido’s chaotic mind.

Led by Steven Pasquale (Guido), the performances in Nine hit the exact mark they need to, yet decline to go beyond that. For such a beautiful ensemble score, the vocals, en masse, do not emit the power necessary to give the audience chills. Alone each performance is nothing less than brilliant but what the show misses is what many Kennedy Center Center Stage productions lack, chemistry. Nevertheless, Pasquale brings his beautiful Baritone and character acting to each scene showcasing a man torn between love and love of art. Other standouts include Carolee Carmello’s mid-act Folie Bergeres that brought the audience to their feet with laughter. Her charisma and power brought a lightness to the heavy topics of the production. Elizabeth Stanley was heartbreaking and poignant as Luisa in her performance of Be On Your Own.

It was clear that this was a choreographer director’s Nine from the start. Blankenbuehler, as a choreographer himself, was able to think of the entire show as a dance creating cohesive staging and choreography that tells the story alongside the words. There is stunning choreography in every corner of this show creating dance as a new character for dimension in this story that is only seen in Blakenbuehler’s other projects.

In the end, Guido sacrificed his life for his art and if this production of Nine is the result perhaps it was worth it. Blankenbuehler takes a classic story and twists it without changing a single word. That is the power of thoughtful staging and choreography that is lacking in modern day theatre. Maybe this will be a lesson to revive its beauty.

Nine played at the Eisenhower Theatre, The Kennedy Center from August 2 - 11.

Cabaret, sans Eddie Redmayne

Scripted Hearsay