Nine at Manhattan School of Music

Saw this on All That Chat mentioned by user kieran there. Definitely looks like the show to see this weekend if you're in NY. $30!

Updated On: 3/22/24 at 08:17 PM

Ugh, this clip looks terrible! But maybe I’m biased since I saw, and loved the original Broadway production.

(I typed this in Notes so apologies if the formatting is weird.)

This was really very well done and I’m glad I went. Some random thoughts:

Wonderful performances across the board, and the entire thing was firm in the universe that had been agreed upon. Everyone seemed like they were in the same style/tone etc.

Excellent performances from, in particular…

Elizabeth Holton as Mama Maddelena. I’d seen Klea Blackhurst do the Spa number really well in the Transport Group’s otherwise unfortunate selections-from-Nine concert, and Elizabeth owned the song today.

Kianna Kelly-Futch as Liliane LaFleur. A wonderful arch-ness and self-assuredness, and a killer voice on Folies Bergeres. In fact that entire song was the peak of the show for me.

Sophia Stark as Claudia. Unusual Way started off just great but became brilliant once she hit the forte section. Played the scenes with all the stillness of a true European movie star, and the Grand Canal “filming sequence” anger with fire. The timbre of her voice with Guido’s on the final sustained note of Unusual Way was like cream. Their voices had the exact same quality and frequency for those few seconds, equal partners in a stunning moment of duet. It actually left me breathless.

Kaileigh Fiorillo as Carla. Stole the show really. Every single thing she did was on the money. She could be on Broadway tonight and will be before long.



Hallie August as Luisa was great as well. Perfect deadpan stares and deliveries, but something about a wide standing stance doesn’t feel right for this character and time. Her singing voice reminds of Betty Buckley’s younger recordings. Can’t wait to hear her in years to come.



Antoinette Huegel as Guido’s Mother nailed her song and all her dramatic beats, and had perfect delivery of the role’s comedy.



Xavier Cornell as Guido seemed to be rather controlled by the chaos of the role as opposed to the actor being in control, starting at 100 with nowhere really to go. Act Two was more measured and what Guido “should” be (for me). The youthful energy and chaos should be more internal than external, and it was very external in Act One today. A great voice with lovely lower notes and exciting straight-tone high notes.



The orchestra was really extraordinary. Just a brilliant sound for the duration of the show. Heavenly!!! Tempos for the slower numbers were all perfect, but the tempos for the faster numbers all felt too slow (save for the final section of Folies Bergeres - perfect). But then, this is being conducted by a Broadway legend so who am I to complain I guess. The usually-livelier numbers just felt like they were being slowed down so the audience could catch all the words, or something.

The chorus singing was exquisite. Brava.

The only cut I noticed was the removal of the gondolier and courtesan verses of Grand Canal. A bit of a shame, as the more we can get of the main chorus that usually comes after those bits, the better.


Another interested change was, during the Act One reporters segment, giving Guido’s spoken line of “This is my wife” to Luisa instead, who said “I am his wife”.


Whoever came up with the idea of Luisa snatching Guido’s baton as she walked across the stage has my utmost respect. A great surprise and a delightful choice.



Set design was very satisfying, with beautiful arches and colors, but the pulling of ropes to constantly raise and lower curtains to “reveal” new characters became aurally invasive. Also, revealing new characters like that, feet first, then legs, and torso, and finally face, while they’re waiting to deliver a line - but they can’t yet, because the curtain is lifting so slowly - betrayed all the style that had been otherwise established. Continually seeing each actor’s face appear “last” while the curtains were raised from their feet to their head was strange/unnerving subconsciously at the time and I’ve realized why - traditionally when someone is revealed by a spotlight, it starts on the face and brightens/widens so that we then see more of their body. The curtains today had the opposite effect.

I’ve mentioned Folies Bergeres already and will again. The costumes were sensational during this number, and the choreography was the best of the night. (Like in any theatre program, some parts of the show were over-choreographed and included movement that made no sense, because the students have to dance as much as possible and so on.)



This was overall a great representation of a great musical. If anyone else sees this production I’d be curious to read your thoughts.

Updated On: 3/24/24 at 07:14 PM

I've never seen or heard the score from Nine, but I went earlier today and I was quite impressed (I also saw MSM's production of Sunday in the Park a while back, which was quite good as well). I thought casting for all the roles was pretty spot on, though it was Luisa's voice that really made me sit up and pay attention--not sure what exactly it was but something about the quality of it was so interesting to me that I really hope to hear from her again in the future. But again, I thought all the actors were excellent in the parts that they played (you could've told me it was a professional production and I would've believed it). The character of Guido I could see coming off as eyeroll-y or unlikeable, but I think he was played with just enough vulnerability and almost-innocence to make me feel a bit bad for him (it also helps that the women around him are very strong characters and pretty self-assured in their own right).

The orchestra was definitely a highlight as well, and I'm glad I got to hear the score for the first time with such a lush sound. The costumes were gorgeous as well and I think they worked well against the simple, yet functional stage (the feet first reveal of the characters didn't really bother me that much), with some great lighting choices too.

WindyNewYorker said: "It has been 20 years since the last revival of Nine, maybe it’s time for it to come back? Tunick’s orchestration is so lush and adds so much color tothe wonderful Yeston score."

It’s definitely time for a first-class Broadway revival. But who is the next Guido? Maybe Ricky Martin? I know he’s not Italian—but neither were Julia or Banderas. Santino Fontana was pretty lackluster in the one night concert version last year.