Santino Fontana to lead NINE: IN CONCERT

Transport Group will present Nine: In Concert as the next installment in its Anne L. Bernstein Concert Series on Monday, June 26, 2023, at 8pm in Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center, 129 West 67 Street.

The concert features Tony Award-winner Santino Fontana (Tootsie, Cinderella) who stars as Guido, the role created by Raul Julia, as well as a 25-piece orchestra performing the original orchestrations, interspersed with backstage stories and theatre lore about the original Broadway production. Transport Group Artistic Director Jack Cummings III directs the evening, which is written by Transport Group Artistic Producer Hannah Oren with musical direction by Joey Chancey who conducts the orchestra. The evening's cast and other guests will be announced at a later date.

Nine features a book by Arthur Kopit, music and lyrics by Maury Yeston, and was adapted from the Italian by Mario Fratti. Tommy Tune directed the Tony-winning Best Musical, which opened at Broadway's 46th Street Theatre in 1982 and ran for 748 performances.

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Santino-Fontana-Will-Lead-NINE-IN-CONCERT-This-Summer-20230419

Updated On: 4/19/23 at 09:16 AM

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Lili-Cooper-Christine-Ebersole-Julia-Murney-and-More-Will-Lead-NINE-IN-CONCERT-20230607

Transport Group has announced that Klea Blackhurst (Party Face), Lilli Cooper (Encores' Oliver), Christine Ebersole (Grey Gardens), Jessica Fontana (Cinderella), Julia Murney (The Wild Party), Alexandra Silber (Fiddler on the Roof), Emily Skinner (New York, New York), Elizabeth Stanley (Jagged Little Pill), Jessica Vosk (Wicked), and Vanessa Williams (POTUS) will join Santino Fontana in Nine: In Concert, the next installment in the company's Anne L. Bernstein Concert Series, on Monday, June 26, 2023, at 8pm in Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center, 129 West 67 Street.

The cast also includes Benjamin Pajak (Encores' Oliver) who plays Young Guido, joined by Ethan Joseph (Tina), Matthew Lamb (NYTW's Merrily We Roll Along), and Jayden Theophile (Caroline, or Change) as the Young Boys

Exciting casting! But hard to figure out who will be playing which roles.

I'd assume that Vanessa Williams is doing Follies Bergere?

Julia Murney as Louisa?

Klea Blackhurst doing Germans at the Spa or maybe Be Italian?

Christine Ebersole as Guido's Mother?

Hard to guess Carla (A Call From the Vatican) and Claudia (Unusual Way)?

Why would they list all of these actresses and NOT say what roles they're playing? Ugh.

I would guess:

Vanessa Williams is Liliane

Lili Cooper is Saraghina

Jessica Vosk is Carla

Elizabeth Stanley is Claudia

Christine Ebersole is Guido's mother

Julia Murney is Luisa

Emily Skinner is Stephanie

Alexandra Sillber Lady of the Spa

Updated On: 6/7/23 at 02:57 PM

The cheapest ticket is currently $279 rip

Voter said: "The cheapest ticket is currently $279 rip"

Merkin only holds around 400 seats and this sold out fairly quickly!

Anyone going tonight?

Can't wait to see who sings which part(s)?

Initial guesses would be Vanessa Williams is doing Follies Bergere

Julia Murney (or Lili Cooper?) as Louisa

Christine Ebersole as Guido's Mother?

Anyone else going tonight? Sad to hear Jessica Vosk has announced she won’t make this because of conflict, but I’m sure whoever we get will be great!


What a dazzling all star Broadway cast! And the original 25 piece orchestrations! And Yeston himself and original cast member Karen Akers will do a Q&A with the audience after!

I can’t wait!

Updated On: 6/26/23 at 12:36 PM

Sadly Santino was a bit “at sea” during this performance. Bum notes aplenty - backing away from the mic and trying to disappear when he would lose the harmony - and lyrics often playing catch-up as he lost his place in the script.
Would have really appreciated some piano dynamic to his voice. All we got was f or ff with no variation to complement the brilliant score and suggest anything like an Italian male with simmering passion. If I’d paid the 300 plus bucks some of the seats sold for over the last couple of days, I’d be p!ssed. Yes it’s a barely-rehearsed concert (often sounding vocally more like a guesstimate table-read) but to have such visible unfamiliarity with the material was quite unbecoming.


He was completely outdone by the female performers, especially Karen Akers who sang My Husband Makes Movies splendidly but particularly by Klea Blackhurst with Germans at the Spa - she knew every note and dynamic and comedic beat and she DELIVERED!!! Ironically, on a stage full of Broadway performers, she - with no Broadway credits - gave the most Broadway-calibre performance. Will never forget that.


Alexandra Silber did a rousing and exciting Call From the Vatican.

Christine Ebersole was touching and often hilarious as the Mother.

The orchestra was EXCELLENT. The harp was astounding and perfect. And the female chorus was just great, and all who did cameos such as Reporters were right on the money. Special mention to the soloist who sang the Lady of the Spa(?) line - beautifully done.


The dialogue was basically all eliminated except for lines that occur over music. Stage direction highlights/scene summaries were read by a narrator on the side.

Apparently there was meant to be a talkback with Maury Yeston (he was there) but the lights came up and people started to leave with no mention of any talkback. Guess it was cancelled.

Updated On: 6/26/23 at 10:53 PM

Wasn’t that Emily Skinner doing Be Italian? I though the show was grossly unrehearsed. Why wasn’t there a microphone for the women on stage left during their introductions? Follies was a train wreck. Couldn’t hear Vanessa Williams and Lilli Cooper was late on her lyrics throughout. And where was half the cast at the curtain call? Who was singing Simple? I felt bad for Maury Yeston. No introduction or bringing him up on stage. This concert reading deserved better.

The theater messaged me the day before saying seats opened up at $299 each...so glad I passed on this based on these comments.

When are we getting another Broadway revival of Nine? How has it been 20 years already since the last one?