Male and Female Options in Nine
Male and Female Options in Nine
#1Male and Female Options in Nine
Posted: 11/21/09 at 7:15pmSo I just got myself a copy of the script Sam French licenses for Nine. It actually gives you options of changing several characters into men including Liliane La Fleur into Maurice La Fleur and Lina Darling into Leo Darling and Stephanie Necrophorus into Stefan and several of the minor roles. I always thought the brilliance of the piece was that the only man was Guido (and young Guido and his 3 schoolmates). I understand that some companies may want to give additional roles to their men but it seems to defeat the power of having all these ladies on stage against Guido. Thoughts?
#2re: Male and Female Options in Nine
Posted: 11/21/09 at 7:28pmTo walk into a community theater production of NINE, and see male nurse and synchronized swimming lover Chip Monk limn the role of "Maurice La Fleur" is the stuff of fever dreams.
#2re: Male and Female Options in Nine
Posted: 11/21/09 at 7:43pm
Bobby, I think it comes down to directorial concept. If, say, a director wanted to do a staging more in the style of the the original Fellini film, you could make a case to include men in the ensemble cast, must as the London concert did (the ensemble numbers including men on that recording are thrilling). But I agree to have a male playing Lillian (as written in the stage musical complete with Follies Bergere) could turn the entire musical into something pretty campy.
I know when NYU did the production in the 90s they did the male optional characters...
#3re: Male and Female Options in Nine
Posted: 11/21/09 at 7:48pm
Wait some productions have really had a male sing FOLIES BERGERE? Wtf?
#4re: Male and Female Options in Nine
Posted: 11/21/09 at 7:53pmYep. In some cases there is male and female dialogue but for La Fleur the name is the only change.
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#5re: Male and Female Options in Nine
Posted: 11/21/09 at 8:52pmIf I remember correctly, La Fleur didn't become a woman until Liliane Montevecchi auditioned and they felt they needed to find a place for her in the show. And along those lines, the all female cast was a result of Tommy Tune, not necessarily the way the show started out to be.
#6re: Male and Female Options in Nine
Posted: 11/21/09 at 10:24pmIt actually comes down to money and the fact that the show may get produced more often by regional companies if the option is available to include more men in the cast. That's the only reason it's allowed.
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