NINE vs. DREAMGIRLS — Page 2

In the stage version, there's no drug or death subplot for Jimmy. His character arc ends when Curtis fires him after his onstage "Rap" incident where he drops his pants and Lorrell dumps him ("Lorrell loves Jimmy, it's true..... but Lorrell and Jimmy are through/I got a show to do..."). We don't see Jimmy again after that.

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>Dreamgirls' score is great, but lyrically, it's sometimes almost stupid.<

Which , is something I've always thought of Nine's lyrics, some of which land with a clank.

"I don't want to wake up tomorrow morning at the bottom of some heap..."

"The Germans at the Spa, are eating halvah"

The lyrically impenetrable "Folies Bergere," for which I still don't understand what Liliane Montevecchi was saying, after hearing it for 25 years

And last, but not least, the famed "Be Italian, you rapscallion".

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Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop.

I understand why Nine won. It opened at the end of the season, had a lush score, a star turn center stage and a great press agent!

I love how people make excuses for why their show didn't win the Tony.

"Oh, it was a political thing that year, pay no mind..."

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I still can't believe "Titanic" beat "The Life." Thanks, rosie!

Most of the shows of last season gave me embarrassmetn shivers!

>> The core of NINE may be hollow or even rancid, but the surface is dazzlingly dressed to the nines

But that's true of all of Fellini's films, by design and intent, so I'm not surprised that NINE would reflect that as well.

I too saw the original (from standing room) and was blown away by the visuals, so much so that the story seemed almost irrelevant. But again, that too is a trademark of a Fellini film (There's a story to Roma or City of Women? Dont think so, bud.), so the question remains: were Kopit et al merely trying to be true to the conceptual spirit of 8-1/2?

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I believe Smaxie is Frank Rich is disguise. He too picked a part the ravishing lyrics of Nine. Alright fine, Folies Bergeres makes no sense and develops the plot in no particular way, but Liliane did a helluva good job, didn't she?

On the Bennet and Tune thing- Bennet I believe didn't speak to Tommy Tune again after he lost Best Director. I could be wrong, but I know there was a very large rift between them.
Knowing Michael Bennet (well, I didn't actually know him, but you get the point) he probably did try to "wine and dine"a term often used to describe the way he persuaded people) Tune and the Nederlanders into opening Nine at a later date. Michael Bennet was not the nicest man. In fact, although it was not her intention, Donna McKechnie portrayed him as an absolute monster in her book. Compared to Mr. Bennet, Bob Fosse was a saint.

"Condon should try writing a screenplay for a film versions of a Broadway musical without butchering the score."

--Yes, just like Joel Schumacher did for PHANTOM. He left the whole score in tact and look how good that turned out!

The Dreamgirls film had a near impossible task to achieve-be a quality movie musical AND be a commercial prospect. With that goal in mind, I feel that the movie was the best it could be. I mean, for me, I only missed the "Heavy" sung-thru recitative. I was glad that they changed "I Miss You Old Friend", because I hated the way it was originally done.

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