Nine

Critiqued by Holly Bartges

It's mid-life crises time for Guido Contini, and the run at the Arvada Center for the Arts & Humanities is coming to a fast close. There's still time.

Nine, based on Frederick Fellini's semi autobiographical film, 8 1/2, features a magnificent set designed by Brian Mallgrave. On a revolving platform, the towered piece allows for scene changes without question as to where and when. Decked in white and black with ramps, platforms and a tunnel through the middle, it is an incredible slice of creative ingenuity.

Randal Keith, center, plays Guido Contini and clockwise from left, Megan van de Hey, Susan Long, Alex Ryer, Anna Hanson, Beth Flynn and Jennifer deDominici in the Arvada Center's production of Nine. Photo by P. Switzer

Directed by Rod A. Lansberry, and choreographed by Kitty Skillman Hilsabeck, Nine is a spectacular production visually and musically. The voices strengthen the characters, and the characters are delightfully engaged in spite of a missing piece to the production puzzle.

Randal Keith plays Guido, who, although snuggles himself for his recent success finds his creative juices cease flowing as he faces his 40th birthday. Liliane La Fleur, Quido's producer expects another smashing script from him in a few days. He doesn't have a script. He doesn't even have an idea. Alex Ryer plays Liliane with a punch no one without an expected script would want to ignore. Sneaking off to a Venice spa with his wife, Luisa (Megan Van De Hey), he thinks will solve the problem. No one will know where he is.

Except everyone seems to know where he is, keeping him on the run with all too many romantic escapades catching up to him.

The revolving set demonstrates his constant plying excuses to his wife, his producer, his many lovers on the side, and especially his mistress, Carla Albanese, played by Anna Hanson.

With every production, Van de Hey grows stronger, bolder, precise, and more magnetic, and she's wondrous in the role of Luisa. Oh, Luisa knows and understands her husband, and stand by him she will. A temporary deal breaker interferes along the way, but Van De Hey makes sure Luisa states her case with her two songs, My Husband Makes Movies and Be On Your Own.

With all of the many scenes, one stands out above all others. Beth Flynn nearly brings down the house toward the end of Act I with her song and dance routine Ti Volgio Bene/Be Italian. Playing Sarraghina, a Whore, Flynn fills her soul with rambunctious enthusiasm for life teaching the Italian boys in her own way how to be Italian and how to be watchful and careful. Considering the difficulties facing the Roman Catholic Church with the recent accusations of priests molesting children, this particular song becomes even more poignant. Flynn takes center stage with gusto and no one wants her to let go.

Matthew Gary and Jacob Pearce share the role of Little Guido. Logan Smith and Nicholas Van Tscharner, Gary and Pearce play his schoolmates. Facing the Big 40, Guido must also face the little boy he once was and in many ways, still is.

On the other side of the coin, however, the weakest scene comes with the Germans visiting the spa. Their song and dance, The Germans At The Spa, turns into a cartooned caricatured silly piece with silly people, who really aren't silly at all. Pieper Lindsay Arpan plays Olga Von Sturm, Brianna Firestone plays Heidi Von Sturm, Shannon Steele plays Ilsa Von Hesse, and Heather Fortin Rubald plays Gretchen Von Krupf. These are all accomplished artists, and it is too bad they aren't given the opportunity to show it. Verging on attempted slapstick, these accomplished artists look uncomfortable. Consequently, the characters look out of place.

Randal Keith and Anna Hanson in the Arvada Center's production of Nine. Photo by P. Switzer

As spectacular as the visualness of the production is, and as magnificent are the voices, something is missing. It's the flair of Italian sensuality that wants to flow from every pore, every move, every word, every note, and it just doesn't. With all of his conflicts, and comedic escapades, and rattled excuses, the sensuality should stem from Guido, and it just doesn't. Keith has the voice. No question, but it is difficult fitting him into Guido's shoes. Because Guido doesn't have it, indubitably, it is difficult for star-struck girls chasing him to bring it to the forefront.

His mistress, Carla boils over with come-hither sexuality as she questions why Guido avoids her. Oiled sensuality from Anna Hanson gets left somewhere back stage. If Guido doesn't have it, it would be difficult for Hanson to reach for it.

Guido has a poignant moment toward the end, when he faces young Guido, when his creative juices have kicked in, and he begins to accept who he really is, and that everything is going to turn out OK. He simply says to the young boy who lives inside him, You be 9 and I will be 40.

In the nick of time, before he has to admit to Liliane he doesn't have a clue about a script, a brilliant idea saves him from disaster.

Clare Henkel's costume design works well for most of the characters except for the Germans. Their costumes fill the silliness mode as though it is an opportunity to poke fun at a group of people who appear out of place at a spa.

David Nehls, Music Director, conducts the orchestra from his keyboard, along with Jon Cullison on bass, Dave DeMichelis on guitar, Jean Bolger and Deborah Fuller on violins, Terry Sawchuk on trumpet, Harry Grainger on woodwinds, Daniel Shevlin on cello, and Keith Fuer on percussion. This group of musicians makes proud the music written by Maury Yeston.

In spite of the lack of Italiano sensuality, the Arvada Center's production of Nine is a feast for the eyes and joy to the ears. The fast paced musical loses some tempo along the way giving a sense of disjointedness. Because of the jar dropping set design and the crowd-pleasing musicality, Nine, on stage where it does indeed belong, will be greatly loved and appreciated. The oiled Italian sensuality would have tightened the production. Nine has already become one of the most talked about productions coming out of the Arvada Center, and perhaps too bad it has a short run. Time may be of the essence, but there's still time to enjoy its frivolity.

Nine
Book by Arthur Kopit Music and Lyrics by Maury Yeston Directed by Rod A. Lansberry