By Meg McEvoy Cavalier Daily Staff Writer
LiveArts' current musical "NINE" features some fantastic singing, a decent story and probably more skin than its audiences have seen in public in a long time. The beauty of live theater is they do it all (dancing, singing, lingerie) without a bit of airbrush or a puff of stage fog.
A cast of 16 women, a leading man and a boy playing his childhood self bring to life Maury Yeston's musical adaptation of Federico Fellini's popular film, "8 1/2." The provocative story dramatizes the life of Guido Contini (Jeff Dreyfus), a famous film-maker on the brink of losing his wife, angering his numerous lovers and becoming professionally washed-up, unless he can straighten up and churn out another hit movie. While Guido is hailed as the best movie-maker since Charlie Chaplin, his last three films flopped. The play follows Guido and his wife Luisa (Jane Mayer) to the Spa at Fontane di Luna, where Guido hopes to regain his inspiration and avoid pushing Luisa toward divorce.
Guido's problems, however, follow him. Catty actresses-turned-mistresses demand Guido's time and affection, his producer threatens to revoke his contract if he doesn't produce a hit and a harsh critic breathes down his neck. Even the apparition of Guido's dead mother tells him to "shape up."
What's a rich, handsome, ridiculously sought-after creative genius to do?
It's the type of Hollywood-esque conflict that takes a lot of beautiful people to make us care. Luckily, director Bob Chapel found the talent and the beauty to make "NINE's" storyline pop.
There seems to be plenty at stake in the conflict over Guido and Luisa's marriage. Their affection is excellently played by both Dreyfus and Mayer, providing some of the show's most moving moments.
Guido's anguish over his career is also absorbing. His producer, Liliane La Fleur (Jeannie Jones), her accomplice (Moira Fogarty) and a searing critic, Stephanie Necrophorus (Marthe Rowen), all clad in vampy black costumes, seem to desire Guido's failure and swarm about him like devilish bees.
The meaning behind the title, "NINE," is reveled in a sequence at the end of act one. Justin Grant, as 9-year-old Guido is seen in recollected scenes of his childhood at St. Sebastian's Catholic school, spending time on the beach with a prostitute and learning to dance the tarantella.
"NINE" refers to Guido's wish to be always 9 years old, when life was simple. But, what should boil down to the stuff of a typical mid-life crisis instead drags into confusing scenes which attempt to justify all of Guido's flaws. This sequence over-philosophizes and draws attention away from the struggles we are actually interested in seeing resolved.
Accents, from Italian to German, are in abundance throughout the show. At their best they add humor and texture to the characters and provide an international flavor; at their worst they obscure the dialogue, especially during songs. For example, though Jeannie Jones exhibited great singing, dancing and tremendous energy in "Folies Bergeres," the text was muddled by her French accent, and we simply didn't know what the song was about.
A few audience-participation segments featuring Jones cooing at unsuspecting male audience-members disturbed the show's momentum and left the mostly over-60 crowd just a tad uncomfortable.
Still, the show sparkled with often-terrific singing, excellent characters and lively dance numbers. Strong ensemble singing complimented the solo numbers and helped Guido's pieces as Jeff Dreyfus had one of the weaker voices. Delightful performances by Catherine Ogden and Heather Mayes stood out.
The set and costumes also put a shine on this piece. The set, featuring a metal platform staircase against a painted rendition of Rene Magritte's "La Magie Noire" provides the perfect balance between steely, industrial practicality and the soft lines and color of a work of art. Sliding pocket doors and windows provide depth as display cases for dancers, who become part of the scenery.
Costumes, in all black and white, often dance between masculine and feminine, tailored and soft. This exhibits the diversity of the female-heavy cast and showcases an underlying feminine power in this seemingly male-centered musical.
Perhaps most notable of all is "NINE's" effect in LiveArts' fairly intimate space. If Arthur Kopit's script is a bit airy, this production is not. Without even a proscenium to hide behind, "NINE's" small cast plunges through some exposed moments and fully commits to the serious undertaking of a not-so-serious play. While other productions might have relied on dusky lighting and a few extras to cushion the choreography, "NINE's" fabulous cast strips down to their skivvies and reminds us of the scenic possibilities of the old-fashioned folding chair. The result is skillfully polished, not over-produced.
Though the material wasn't the stuff of epic, LiveArts takes a small musical and makes it into a vibrant experience
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