Archive

Identifier: NINE2003

Inclusive Dates: 2002 - 2003

Extent:

Roundabout Theatre Company staged Arthur Kopit and Maury Yeston's musical, Nine, (from an adaptation by Mario Fratti) at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, with first preview on March 21, opening night on April 10, and closing night on December 14, 2003. The production was nominated for countless Tony and Drama Desk Awards, winning Tony's for Best Revival of a Musical and Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Jane Krakowski); Drama Desk Awards for Oustanding Revival of a Musical, Outstanding Actor in a Musical (Antonio Banderas), Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Jane Krakowski); and 2 Theatre World Awards (Antonio Banderas and Mary Stuart Masterson).

A production of Nine was produced at The Donmar Warehouse in 1996, directed by David Leveaux, under the artistic direction of Sam Mendes. The musical had its initial staged reading at The Eugene O'Neill Music Theatre Conference in Waterford, CT in 1979.

Critical responses to the production were very favorable, with comparisons to the original lavish staging, in 1982, by director Tommy Tune and starring Raul Julia as Guido. David Leveaux's production was noted as being more impressionistic with focus placed more on the women than on Guido. Writing for The New York Times, Ben Brantley wrote, "[i]t's raining women in the glamour-saturated new production of Nine, Maury Yeston's 1982 musical portrait of the mind of a movie director. From the moment the first shapely pair of legs are seen insinuating their way down a heaven-scraping spiral staircase in David Leveaux's hyperelegant revival, Nine is flooded to the drowning point in glossy, exotic images of femininity." [The New York Times, April 11, 2003]   

Directed by David Leveaux, with set design by Scott Pask, costume design by Vicki Mortimer, lighting design by Brian MacDevitt, sound design by Jon Weston, special effects by Gregory Meeh, orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick, music coordination by John Miller, music direction by Kevin Stites and choreography by Jonathan Butterell. 

Anthony Colangelo and William Ullrich played the part of Little Guido, Antonio Banderas played the part of Guido Contini, Mary Stuart Masterson played the part of Luisa, Jane Krakowski played the part of Carla, Elena Shaddow played the part of Renta, Mary Beth Peil played the part of Guido's Mother, Saundra Santiago played the part of Stephanie Necrophorus, Rachel deBenedet played the part of Diana, Linda Mugleston played the part of Olga von Sturm, Sara Gettelfinger played the part of Maria, Kathy Voytko played the part of Lina Darling, Nell Campbell played the part of Sofia, Myra Lucretia Taylor played the part of Saraghina, Rona Figueroa played the part of Juliette, Kristin Marks played the part of Annabella, Laura Benanti played the part of Claudia, Deidre Goodwin played the part of Our Lady of the Spa, and Chita Rivera played the part of Liliane La Fleur. Understudies: Paul Shoeffler, Nell Campbell, Sara Gettlefinger, Linda Mugleston, Kristin Marks, Rona Figueroa, Kathy Voytko, Rachel deBenedet, Stephanie Bast and Jssica Leigh Brown. Replacement cast: Farah Alvin, Christine Arand, Nikki Renee Daniels, Evan Daves, Jacqueline Hendy, Eartha Kitt, Rebecca Luker, Daniel Manche, Marni Nixon and John Stamos. 

The musical Nine grew out of composer Maury Yeston's passionate interest in the Fellini film 8 1/2. Working with an outline, Yeston found a collaborator - Mario Fratti - who adapted the Italian into English. Yeston made a tape of the music and was accepted to the Eugene O'Neill Musical Theatre Conference. A director there, Howard Ashman, helped to further shape the book. While at the Conference, the work won the Richard Rodgers Production Award. The score was ultimately heard by Tommy Tune who felt he must direct the show on Broadway and brought on a native English speaking writer - Arthur Kopit - to take the book to the next phase. The musical premiered on Broadway in 1982 at the 46th Street Theatre, winning the Tony Award and running nearly two years. [Roundabout Theatre Upstage Guide, Winter 2003]   

Production records for the 2003 staging of Nine are contained in 7 Hollinger Boxes spanning 33 files. 3 Playbills are present (one signed by the original cast), ticket stubs, direct mail flyers, multiple copies of select production shots and one 12x8 color print of Todd Haimes, Ellen Richard, Julia Levy with Maury Yeston, Mario Fratti and Arthur Kopit holding the Tony award.

The records provide a fairly complete look into the the production, with full costume bible, set, lighting and sound records, prop bible and supporting administrative documentation.

Digital files include:
Photographs of archived costumes (54.3MB)
JPG scans of costume sketches (448 MB)
Education (PDF of study guide and Word memo) (17 MB)
General Management files (3.87 MB)
Media files (includes b-roll, interviews, radio spots) (66.3 GB)
Merchandise (JPG of lapel button) (6.2 MB)
Playbill (JPG scans) (94.6 MB)
Production photographs (Cast 1 and Cast 2) (556 MB)
Show Art (105 MB)

Orchestration files include:
Piano Vocal without played part orchestrations

Marketing files include:
1 departmental file with ad placements, mock ups, etc.
1 show file with detailed marketing plans for the show

Photograph file includes: 
1 color slide of Antonio Banderas and 3 pages of photocopies of slides 

Access Restrictions: Open and available for research by appointment only, except as where noted.

Preferred Citation: Nine (2003), Roundabout Theatre Company Archives