NINE
Music and Lyrics by Maury YestonBook by Arthur Kopit and Mario Fratti
based on Federico Fellini's 1963 film 8 1/2
March 2-25, 2023
Click Here for Tickets!
“New Line's production is passionate, compelling and enjoyable.”
– BroadwayWorld
“Sly and seductive. . . flirty and confident and fun.”
– TalkinBroadway
Filled with wonderful melodies and terrific performances."
– ReviewSTL
“The singing is stellar, the story is satisfying…
charming and intriguing throughout.”
– Ladue News
“A vocally gorgeous evening of song.”
– The Riverfront Times
“The crème de la crème of local female vocal talent.”
– PopLifeSTL
“It’s a fantastic production.”
– Snoop’s Theatre Thoughts
“The show’s rarity is reason enough to see New Line’s production.
An even better reason is the excellence of the score and the staging.”
– Two on the Aisle
Genius filmmaker Guido Contini is having a very messy nervous breakdown.
And you're invited!
Based on filmmaking legend Federico Fellini’s legendary (semi-)autobiographical film 8 1/2, this is a psychoanalytical roller coaster ride through the brain of a troubled, self-doubting genius. Underneath, it's a story about creation and creators, the sacrifices and compromises and demons, and the mysterious, delicate process of making great art.
Nine follows Fellini avatar Guido Contini who suffers a monumental breakdown, just as he turns forty and cameras are ready to roll on his next film, which Guido hasn’t even written yet. The entire show unfolds inside Guido’s frantic, chaotic mind as the many women in his life begin to rebel against his casual use and abuse of them, and as he examines the many relationships in his life. Finally, Guido has to learn the hardest lesson of all for an artist – he has to grow up.
In fact, Fellini gave his film its title as a joke: his lead character was so blocked artistically that his story didn’t even get a real title (its original title was La Bella Confusione), just a number. Fellini had already directed six full-length films and one short film, and he had co-directed two films, so this was film number eight-and-a-half. But because the stage musical was no longer artistic autobiography, the new title Nine refers to the age that Guido wishes he could return to, a simpler time free of responsibility.
The New Line cast includes Cole Gutmann (Guido), Lisa Karpowicz (Luisa), Sarah Wilkinson (Carla), Ann Hier (Claudia), Kimmie Kidd-Booker (Liliane LaFleur), Sarah Birch (Saraghina), Kat Bailey, Kathleen Dwyer, Brittany Hester, Kay Love, Stephanie Merritt, Julia Monsey, Gillian Pieper, and Alyssa Wolf.
The New Line production will be directed by Scott Miller and Chris Kernan, with choreography by Kernan, music direction by Jenna Lee Moore, costume design by Sarah Porter, scenic design by Rob Lippert, lighting design by Matt Stuckel, and sound design by Ryan Day.
Produced by arrangement with Concord Theatricals, New York.
Want to explore more?
We recommend:
The 1982 Original Broadway cast recording, the published script, and the piano-vocal selections
The excellent 2009 film adaptation of the musical.
Director Scott Miller's blog, "The Bad Boy of Musical Theatre" about New Line's creative process.
Fellini's original 1963 masterpiece 8 1/2
The excellent book Everything is Choreography: The Musical Theater of Tommy Tune by Kevin Winkler.
TICKET INFO
NINE runs March 2-25, 2023, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, all at 8:00 p.m., at the Marcelle Theater, 3310 Samuel Shepard Drive, three blocks east of Grand, in the Grand Center Arts District. March 2 is a preview.
Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for students/seniors on Thursdays; and $30 for adults and $25 for students/seniors on Fridays and Saturdays. To charge tickets by phone, call MetroTix at 314-534-1111 or visit the Fox Theatre box office or the MetroTix website.
DISCOUNTS: HIGH SCHOOL DISCOUNT: Any high school student with a valid school ID can get a $10 ticket for any performance, with the code word, posted only on New Line's Facebook page. COLLEGE FREE SEATS: Ten free seats for every performance, open to any college student with a valid student ID. EDUCATORS DISCOUNT: New Line offers all currently employed educators half price tickets on any Thursday night, with work ID or other proof of employment. MILITARY DISCOUNT: New Line offers all active duty military personnel half price tickets on any Thursday night, with ID or other proof of active duty status.
All offers not valid in connection with other discounts or offers, available only at the door, and subject to availability. All programs subject to change. New Line Theatre receives funding from the Regional Arts Commission and the Missouri Arts Council.
