Nine (2003 Revival)
Nine (2003 Revival)
jacobsnchz14
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/13/06
#1Nine (2003 Revival)
Posted: 3/5/11 at 8:42pmI was wondering what everyone thought of the Roundabout revival of NINE if they had a chance to see it before it closed. I am looking on "that site" to find the Tony Award performance, since they were nominated and won, but can't find it. Wanted to hear opinions on the production, as well as the cast recording. I am very interested in hearing your thoughts! Thanks!
#2Nine (2003 Revival)
Posted: 3/5/11 at 9:01pm
As with every production, you're going to get differing views. At the time that it opened, it was a very "hip" show to see. I, personally, found it to be visually stunning but emotionally vacant. It was a well acted, well sung, well designed production and yet I still was left cold by it. If you can find it, read Ben Brantley's review of it: it's spot on for the most part. Benanti was lovely, Banderas was charming (but you could barely understand him), Masterson was surprisingly musical but didn't make much of an impression, Rivera was fun, though with an atrocious French accent and Krakowski literally stopped the show cold with "Call from the Vatican."
"Sing the words, Patti!!!!" Stephen Sondheim to Patti LuPone.
Updated On: 3/6/11 at 09:01 PM
#2Nine (2003 Revival)
Posted: 3/5/11 at 9:36pm
Because I loved the original so much, I was surprised how much I loved the revival.
Cast wise though I generally preferred the original cast especially Raul Julia over Antonia Banderas. The one exception was Mary Stuart Masterson who I thought was amazing as Luisa. Both acting and vocally she was miles better than Karen Akers (who I could not stand).
jdtp12
Featured Actor Joined: 7/16/10
#4Nine (2003 Revival)
Posted: 3/5/11 at 11:06pmWickedfan is spot on! - Krakowski was amazing in CTTV and I truely enjoyed Banderas. Emotionally Vacent is a perfect description....with the exception of the two above. - A very quality cast none the less.
#5Nine (2003 Revival)
Posted: 3/6/11 at 4:25am
Yeah, "visually stunning but emotionally vacant" is about right. It wasn't entirely an issue of the production, the show itself has a black hole at its center in the person of the preening, egomaniacal Guido.
I understand that Antonio Banderas overcame the problem with his charm but, alas, I saw it after he left. I got John Stamos who only underlined the petulant self-absorption of the character. The ladies were great. Eartha Kitt had replaced Chita and she was amazing as was Rebecca Luker in the Benanti role. Sara Gettelfinger was in for Krakowski and did well. Mary Stewart Masterson was the lone holdover from the original cast and she was stalwart, the emotional center of the show.
Faced with these Loreleis, what man can moralize!
#6Nine (2003 Revival)
Posted: 3/6/11 at 9:17amIt was a nearly flawless revival. Banderas, Masterson, Krakowski, Benanti, and Rivera all gave masterful performances and the stage tableaux were stunning. I still think Masterson was more deserving of the Tony than Krakowski, but that's a discussion for another thread. Masterson's performance was really unbelievable - for an actress who hadn't been onstage in nearly twenty years, and I believe had never performed in a musical, her acting and singing was beyond stunning.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
BrodyFosse123
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/27/06
#7Nine (2003 Revival)
Posted: 3/6/11 at 9:25am
Sara Gettelfinger was in for Krakowski and did well.
Nope... Krakowski left at the same time Banderas did so you saw her replacment: Sara Gettelfinger. Jenna Elfman was supposed to replace Krakowski but was let go during early rehearsals. Gettelfinger was Krakowski's understudy.
bryan2
Broadway Star Joined: 12/19/06
#8Nine (2003 Revival)
Posted: 3/6/11 at 12:39pmI agree that Mary Stuart Masterson should have won the tony over Jane but Janes entrance pretty much sealed the win,,it was amazing . I loved the revival and I was surprisded because I loved the original so much..Antonio was great ,,I could understand him easily and he owned the stage..great revival
#9Nine (2003 Revival)
Posted: 3/6/11 at 12:46pmThat's exactly what I mean, Bryan. The spectacle aspect of Jane's performance overshadowed Masterson's fine work. Carla is an attention-grabbing role, no question, and those kinda of roles seem to win awards (see: Mo'Nique). But Masterson's performance is the one that's stayed with me for nearly a decade.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
#10Nine (2003 Revival)
Posted: 3/6/11 at 2:11pmStamos was all wrong for the lead role. He seemed like a boy, not a man. But Masterson stood out even more. I saw the closing night, and she game a true, heartfelt performance that I will always remember. I have liked Stamos in other shows, and in theory he should have nailed the role. But, he was really lost.
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