Nine

A CONCORD THEATRICALS TITLE

The spectacular musical adaptation of Fellini's 8½ features one man and the dozens of women in his life. Celebrated but impetuous film director Guido Contini, succumbing to the pressures of filming his latest film epic, suffers a midlife crisis. One by one, women from his past and present – including his mother, his wife, his mistress, and his leading lady – haunt, instruct, scold, seduce and encourage him until he finally learns to grow up.

Image: 2003 Roundabout Theatre Company Production (Joan Marcus)

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Cast Size

22w, 1m, 4boy(s)
Duration

120 minutes (2 hours)
Target Audience

Adult

Accolades

Winner! Five 1982 Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Score
Winner! Seven 1982 Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Musical, Lyrics and Music
Winner! Two 2003 Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical
Winner! Three 2003 Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Revival of a Musical

Also Available

Nine (Ensemble Version)

Details

Summary

Celebrated but impetuous film director Guido Contini, succumbing to the pressures of filming his latest film epic (a musical version of the Casanova story), suffers a midlife crisis. One by one, women from his past and present – including his mother, his wife, his mistress, and his leading lady – haunt, instruct, scold, seduce and encourage him until he finally learns to grow up.

Nine was also adapted into a major motion picture from Rob Marshall, the acclaimed director of the 2002 film version of Chicago. Of the Broadway musical, Marshall said it is "a sumptuous and emotional work that translates naturally to the film musical genre because of its seamless relationship between fantasy and reality." Composer and lyricist Maury Yeston worked on the film adaptation and created three new songs for the movie musical, which was released in December, 2009.

History

Nine opened at the 46th St. Theater on Broadway on May 9th, 1982. Directed by Tommy Tune, it starred Raul Julia and featured Karen Akers, Shelly Burch, Anita Morris and Lilianne Montevecchi. In 2003, the show returned to Broadway at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre. Directed by David Leveaux, the revival starred Antonio Banderas and featured Mary Stuart Masterson, Laura Benanti, Jane Krakowski and Chita Rivera.

Cast Attributes

Keywords

Performing Groups

GUIDO CONTINI - the film director
GUIDO AT AN EARLY AGE - Little Guido
LUISA CONTINI - Guido's wife
CARLA ALBANESE - Guido's mistress
CLAUDIA NARDI - the actress, Guido's former protegee
GUIDO'S MOTHER
LILIANE LA FLEUR - Guido's producer
LINA DARLING - La Fleur's mysterious accomplice
STEPHANIE NECROPHORUS - a critic
OUR LADY OF THE SPA
MAMA MADDELENA - chief of the chambermaids
SARRAGHINA - a volumptuous prostitute

THE ITALIANS
DIANA
MARIA
FRANCESCA
ANNABELLA
GUILIETTTA
RENATA
A VENETIAN GONDOLIER

THE GERMANS
OLGA VON STURM
HEIDI VON STURM
ILSA VON HESSE
GRETCHEN VON KRUPF
LITTLE GUIDO'S THREE SCHOOLMATES
A NUN

Alternate casting: 10m, 13 female, and 4 boys

Time Period 1960s
Setting 1960s. Venice, Italy.
Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes, Period Costumes
Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)
Cautions
- Mild Adult Themes
- Smoking

Media

“A galloping fantasy [with a] ravishingly inventive and tuneful score.” – The New York Times

“A rich and thrilling night of theatre.” – The New York Post

“Has been impressively reborn... Yeston's score comes across with extraordinary power.” – New York Daily News

“An abundant musical, one which gleefully expands the limits of the theatre. A startling act of the imagination, independence and daring; and, hence, a show to treasure.” – WCBS-TV

Videos

Nine – The Kennedy Center Highlights
Laura Benanti performs “Unusual Way”
“Be Italian” – Original Broadway Cast
“Overture delle Donne” and “Guido’s Song” – 2003 Broadway Cast

Photos

Image: 2003 Roundabout Theatre Company Production (Joan Marcus)

Image: 2003 Roundabout Theatre Company Production (Joan Marcus)

Image: 2024 Kennedy Center Production (Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)

Music

Music Samples

Act I

1. Overture – Chorus
2. After Overture – Carla, Guido’s Mother, Chorus
3. Spa Music – Our Lady of the Spa, Chorus
4. Not Since Chaplin – Reporters, Giulietta, Renata, Spa People, Claudia
5. Guido’s Song – Guido, Chorus
6. German’s at the Spa – Mama Maddelena, Chambermaids, Heidi, Gretchen, Germans, Italians, Chorus
6a. La Fleur’s Entrance – Orchestra
6b. Garden Scene – Orchestra
6c. Reporter’s Return – Reporters, Spa People
6d. My Husband Makes Movies – Luisa
6e. After Movies – Orchestra
7. A Call From the Vatican – Carla
7a. Western Di Guido – Chorus
7b. The Bible – Chorus
7c. Documentary – Chorus
8. Only With You – Guido, Claudia
8a. After Only With You – Orchestra
8b. Claudia – Orchestra
8c. The Critic – Orchestra
9. The Script – Guido
10. Folies Bergères – La Fleur, Guido, Necrophorus, Chorus
10a. After Folies – Orchestra
10b. Gong Di Guido – Orchestra
11. Nine – Guido’s Mother, Guido’s Aunts
13. Samba Di Guido #2 – Orchestra
13a. Chant Di Guido – Women
14a. Be Italian Part 1 – Sarraghina, Guido, Boys
14b. Be Italian Part 2 – Sarraghina, Boys
14c. Be Italian Part 3 – Orchestra
14d. Be Italian Part 4 – Sarraghina, Chorus
14e. After Be Italian – Orchestra
15. The Bells of St. Sebastian – Guido, Chorus

Act II

16. Entr’acte – Orchestra
16b. Beach Scene – Orchestra
17. A Man Like You – Claudia, Guido
17a. Unusual Way – Claudia, Guido
18a. Contini Submits: Grand Canal – Guido, Chorus
18b. Tarantella I – Guido, Chorus
18e. Every Girl in Venice – Our Lady of the Spa, Chorus
18f. Marcia di Ragazzi – Orchestra
18g. Curtain Music – Orchestra
18h. Recitative & Aria: Amor – Guido, Mama Maddelena, Chorus
18i. Guido Nervoso 1 – Guido
18j. Critic and Mama – Necrophorus, Mama Maddelena
18l. Guido Nervoso – Orchestra
18m. The Bible – Claudia, Guido, Maddelena, Boudoir Nuns, Luisa
18n. B Minor Tarantella – Orchestra
18o. Tarantella 2 – Orchestra
18p. Grand Canal Finale – Chorus
18q. After Grand Canal – Orchestra
19. Simple – Carla
20. Be On Your Own – Luisa
21. Luisa’s Exit – Guido
22. I Can’t Make This Movie – Guido
23. Waltz From Nine – Orchestra
24. Getting Tall – Little Guido
25. Reprises – Guido, Luisa, Little Guido, Chorus
26. Bows – Orchestra
27. Exit Music – Orchestra

Additional Material

28. Grand Canal Sequence Part 1 – Guido, Chorus
28a. Grand Canal Sequence Part 2 – Guido, Chorus

Piano-Conductor

1 Reed 1 (Flute, Piccolo)
1 Reed 2 (Flute, Oboe, English Horn)
1 Reed 3 (Flute, Clarinet, Alto Saxophone)
1 Reed 4 (Clarinet, Eb Clarinet, Bass Clarinet)
1 Reed 5 (Flute, Bassoon, Clarinet)
2 Horn 1&2
2 Trumpet 1&2
1 Trombone 1
1 Trombone 2
2 Percussion (Timpani, Xylophone, Chimes, Bells, Drums, etc. (2 books)
1 Harp
1 Keyboard (Harpsichord, Celeste, Electric Piano)
3 Violin (1 Doubles on Mandolin) (3 books)
2 Viola (2 books)
2 Cello (2 books)
1 Bass

Musical Style Classic Broadway
Vocal DemandsDifficult
Orchestra Size Large
Chorus Size Small

Licensing & Materials

Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.
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Music Rentals

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1 Piano-Conductor
1 Piano-Vocal
27 Vocal Books

1 Reed 1
1 Reed 2
1 Reed 3
1 Reed 4
1 Reed 5
2 Horn 1&2
2 Trumpet 1&2
1 Trombone 1
1 Trombone 2
2 Percussion
1 Harp
1 Keyboard
3 Violin
2 Viola
2 Cello
1 Bass

1 Piano-Vocal
27 Vocal Books

Scripts

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Authors

Arthur Kopit

Arthur Kopit (1937-2021), throughout a career spanning seven decades, authored an extraordinary string of admired, acclaimed and award-winning stage works, beginning with Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad, which Jerome Robbins directed on ...

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Maury Yeston

Maury Yeston’s music and lyrics include his internationally acclaimed Broadway musicals Nine and Titanic (both of which earned him Tony Awards for Best Score and Best Musical, as well as Grammy nominations) and Grand Hotel (Tony nomination, Olivier Award). The Broadway reviva ...

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Mario Fratti

Mario Fratti (1927-2023) was an internationally acclaimed playwright and drama critic. Born in Italy in 1927, he moved to NYC at the prompting of Lee Strasberg, who saw his play Suicide at the 1962 Spoleto Festival. Fratti’s nearly 70 plays have received some 600 productions ...

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Nine