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Michael Rubio

Thea 113

Prof. Joshua Nathan

12/02/2010

 NINE: The Musical, a fantasy based on reality

 NINE: The Musical, directed by Joanne Gordon, could be described in so many

ways. It was astonishing, blissful, and hilarious; the most entertaining to be. It was a play

that embraced all the characteristics of entertainment. It mixed elements of the

contemporary with the classical elements of the 60s. It developed characters deep with

emotion and complexity: Guido, a man who loved women like no other in the world,

Luisa, her struggle to keep loving her husband was ever present during the play, and

Carla, oh Carla, she was a fun, daring character that made the crowd go fanatical. The

stage was upmost strange and alien to me. It was not the traditional theater where there

was a stage and directly in front of it, the rows of seats. The seats surrounded the stage. It

was designed as if the stage were looked upon from all the different angles, a most

unique experience for those used to traditional theater. This made it an interactive stage

and to top it off, the front rows took the risk of getting splashed and also getting fondled

 by one of the characters (Liliane La Fleur, the producer).

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The Story Line

Guido Contini, a famous, renowned film director faces a double crisis. He is

constantly pressured by his producer to shoot a film for which he has no script, nor any

clue of what it will be about. He also faces distress from his young wife who is about to

leave him, because Guido does not put any time or effort into his marriage. As the play

develops we learn that both circumstances are closely related.

Guido is the main character of the play, and all events revolve around him. From

the beginning of the play he seeks to find inspiration for his new film. As the story

continues, Guido’s inner world only seems to become more and more disturbed thanks to

outside pressures: his old love affairs, past acquaintances, his producer looking for him

all over the place, and in top of all that, his wife is thinking of leaving him. It’s only a

matter of time before Guido breaks.

Towards the end of the film, his producer insists on Guido making a musical.

Guido’s imagination goes wild, overwhelmed by all the memories and encounters he has

had with women in his past. His ideas turn into a massive show of mixed memories of the

 past colliding with what could be the deep, complex relationships he has with other 

women. As his film rages on, the characters little by little realize they can’t continue.

They slowly leave Guido and his film. Guido has no choice but to cut and print.

His film was a total failure. All of the women Guido cared about are now moving

on with their lives. Guido Contini has nothing. His soul, shattered, has nothing to live for.

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At the end of the play, there is a revelation between his current self and his old self, when

he was 9 years old, leading into Guido taking his life.

Stage and Setup

There are so many elements that contributed to the success of this play. Every

element took an important role. The stage setup was brilliantly. The large housing

complex was used as apartment or hotel rooms where different characters dwelled. They

were also used simply to display characters that weren’t on the same stage as those

located on the lower, center stage, as though they were somewhere else.

There was some sort of tub or fountain in the middle of the stage. It represented

many different things depending of the scene and was a key factor during the play. When

it was filled, it was used as a symbol representing the beach from when Guido was young

(nine years old). The fountain when covered with wooden boards would then turn into a

 bed or table, in which Guido and his wife laid for a great amount of time.

Sound was also a key component. The songs used in the musical were all very

 profound in feeling and emotion. The songs were used as a way for the characters to

express their thoughts. The sound and clarity heard in the play were superb, crisp and

clean.

Lighting was at its best. Though usually undermined and overlooked, the lighting

in this play was imperative. Since the stage was not setup traditionally, lighting had a

different dynamic than a traditional play. Shadows were at times present, and characters

were properly illuminated when in the spotlight.

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Costumes and makeup were to the least, the most critical. They completely

enhanced each and every character’s personality. They represented the character’s moral

and ideals. For example, Luisa’s long, elegant dress represented her glamour and

elegancy, as well as her sophistication and delicacy. Carla, on the other hand, was dressed

with a short, daring dress that always flapped around, enhancing her personality.

Taken from the Costume Designer’s interview, she stated that her costume design

had to be more symbolic and less realistic; therefore the customs used to enhance the

characters’ personalities were perceptible.

During the shooting of the film, the massive crowd of women who dressed up in

fancy lingerie along with some exotic masks and dresses, made it all seem like a

Broadway show. It was big, spectacular, filled with all sorts of colors, designs and of 

course emotion. It was of the most spectacular sightings I have ever seen in the theater 

(though as a guy, my perspective is biased).

Conclusion

The play was something I didn’t expect in one bit. It was long and enduring, but I

can sincerely say it was worth every minute of it. Also, I found the brighter side to the

theater, the fun side of it. Not all plays have to deal with those old, “classical” themes I

find so dull. Theater is what the director makes it, and this time it was a fun play I really

enjoyed watching.

I was most intrigued by the story line. It was entertaining and it was unexpectedly

deep and complex with emotion. It symbolized how life…