RISE & SHINE BROADWAY FANS!! We are only 24 days away from Broadway’s biggest night of the year, the 71st Annual Tony Awards. We have more of some of the greatest toe tappers from the past 71 years on our TOP 30 TONY AWARDS COUNTDOWN.
At # 24, we take a trip to Venice, Italy in the year 1960 where an Italian film director (on the verge of turning 40) is trying to balance his career and his personal life while having an affair with multiple women at once. This is ‘s musical NINE. It also features a book by Arthur Popit. It’s loosely based on Federico Fellini’s semi-autobiographical film 8 1/2.
From the 1982 telecast, Kati Moss as the wild prostitute “La Saraghina” (the woman who first introduces the young version of the main character of “Guido Contini” to the world of sex) gives a sex lesson to a group of young schoolboys and the cast in the showstopper BE ITALIAN.
NINE officially opened on Broadway in 1982 at the 46th Street Theatre (now the Richard Rodgers Theatre) for 784 performances. The cast starred Ra?l Juli? (later Sergio Franchi & Bert Convy) as “Guido Contini”, Karen Akers (later Maureen McGovern & Eileen Barnett) as “Luisa”, Tony winner Liliane Montevecchi (later Tony winner Priscilla Lopez) as “Liliane”, Kathi Moss as “La Saraghina”, Anita Morris (later Wanda Richert) as “Carla”, Shelly Burch (later Barbara Stock) as “Claudia”, and Tania Elg as “Gudio’s Mother”. It was nominated for 12 Tony Awards that same year winning 5 including Best Musical. Following it’s original Broadway success, the show went to open productions in London’s West End, Australia, and worldwide.
The most recent Broadway revival of NINE happened in 2003. It was produced by Roundabout Theatre Company (based on the acclaimed 1996 West End revival at the Donmar Warehouse in London) playing Broadway’s Eugene O’Neill Theatre for 306 performances. The cast featured Stage and screen star Antonio Banderas (later John Stamos) as “Guido Contini”, Tony nominee Mary Stuart Masterson as “Luisa”, Tony winning legend Chita Rivera (later the late Tony nominated legend Eartha Kitt) as “Liliane”, Tony winner Jane Krakowski (later Sara Gettelfinger) as “Carla”, Tony winner Laura Benanti as “Claudia”, Myra Lucretta Taylor as “La Saraghina”, and Tony nominee again this year Mary Beth Peil (later the late Marni Nixon) as “Guido’s Mother”. It was nominated for 8 Tony Awards that year winning 2 for Best Revival of a Musical plus Best Featured Actress in a Musical (for Jane Krakowski, who won her first Tony that night).
Most recently, NINE became an acclaimed smash hit film adaptation in 2009. It was put together by the acclaimed team that brought us the Oscar winning film adaptation of Chicago The Musical including Rob Marshall’s ltegendary director and choreography. The film cast starred Daniel Day-Lewis as “Guido Contini”, Marion Cotillard as “Luisa”, Pen?lope Cruz Official as “Carla”, Nicole Kidman as “Claudia”, Judi Dench as “Liliane”, Fergie as “La Saraghina”, and Sophia Loren – Official as “Guido’s Mother”. The film also included some new songs by Maury Yeston especially for the film. It was nominated for only Academy Awards that year but lost all the categories.
How about that sexy showstopper?!
#NineTheMusical #TonyAwards #NewYorkBroadwayTours #NYBTTonysCountdown #CountdownToTheTonys #NYBTTop30TonyAwardsCountdown #BroadwaysGreatestHits
Tony Randall introduces NINE on the 1982 Tony Awards (“Be Italian” – Kathi Moss and Company) Milton Berle, Lucie Arnaz, Marvin Hamlisch and Lena Horne presen…
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