There’s A Phone Call From The Vatican: Showtunes Presents “Nine” This Weekend At Benaroya

March 25, 2015• byMichael Strangeways

Guido (Jose Gonzales) surrounded by the women of NINE. Photo by Chris Bennion. NINE In Concert, produced by SHOWTUNES at Benaroya Hall March 28/29, 2015.

“Who’s not wearing any clothes…….?”

Musical theater fans know the answer to that question….it’s “Carla” the sultry siren and mistress to Guido Contini in the award winning Broadway musical, Nine, based on the Frederico Fellini’s film, 8 ½. The autobiographical film was turned into a musical that “follows Guido’s exploits as he prepares his latest motion picture and juggles the many captivating women in his life”, including his wife, mistress, mother, and producer and set against the backdrop of the 1960s. With music & lyrics by Maury Yeston and a book by Arthur Kopit, the original Broadway production, starring Raúl Juliá, opened in 1982 and won five Tony awards, including Best Musical, Best Book and Best Original Score. A hit revival in 2003 starred Antonio Banderas, also earned Tony love, including a win for Jane Krakowski as Carla, but the 2009 film directed by Rob Marshall, was a notorious flop despite an all-star cast led by Oscar winning actors Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Penélope Cruz, Judi Dench, Nicole Kidman, and Sophia Loren.

Now it’s time for Showtunes, the Seattle company dedicated to staging concerts of beloved but less frequently staged musicals from Broadway’s past, to present Nine. High Society, Falsettos, Follies, Annie Warbucks, and Promises, Promises have all been presented in recent years to great acclaim by area fans of musical theater. The twice a year concerts are staged with minimal staging, costumes, and props but feature all the music and dialogue from the original productions. Now in its 15th season under the leadership of current local resident, Martin Charnin, the Broadway veteran responsible for the original, Annie, the company has staged 24 productions to date.

More about Nine and its terrific cast:

Seattle-based SHOWTUNES Theatre Company wraps their 15^th year with a fun, sexy concert version of the Tony award winning musical Nine. For two performances only, Nine runs on Saturday March 28^th at 8:00pm and Sunday March 29^that 2:00 pm inside Benaroya Hall’s acoustically rich Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall. This rarely produced concert musical will be directed by David Hunter Koch with Mark Rabe as music director. Nine (of course) musicians will join a talented 12-person cast (performing “on book”) of Seattle-area musical theater professionals. Cast includes: Jose Gonzales (Guido), Christian West (Young Guido), Beth DeVries (Luisa), Danielle Barnum (Claudia), Taryn Darr (Carla), Cheryl Massey-Peters (Mother), Candace Donahoo (Sarraghina), Sandra Singler (Mama Maddelena), Carolyn Magoon (Stephanie), Anne Allgood (Liliane La Fleur), Christine Riipi (Lina) and Jenny d’Armand (Lady of the Spa).

Plunge into the sultry pool of sexy 1960s Venice with world-famous larger-than-life movie director Guido Contini. Relish the captivating and powerful women in Guido’s life. The wife, the mistress, the temptress, the muse –but of course, Guido has them all! He is also faced with the dreaded 40th birthday, and a massive midlife crisis. Guido’s creative impulses are blocked and he’s trapped himself in a web of romantic difficulties.

Tickets are $31 – $46. Student and Senior tickets are $21. Tickets are available online at SHOWTUNESTheatre.org, over the phone at 206.215.4747 or in person at the Benaroya Hall Ticket Office on the corner of Third Avenue and Union Street. Ticket Office hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; and Saturday, 1 p.m.–6 p.m.

You only have TWO chances to see Nine!

Do it!!

About the Author: Michael Strangeways

As the Editorial Director/Co-Owner, Michael Strangeways writes, edits and does about a million other jobs for Seattle Gay Scene, Puget Sound's most visited LGBTQ news, arts and entertainment website now celebrating its 14th year as a media outlet. A semi-proud Midwesterner by birth, he's lived in Seattle since 2000. He's also a film producer who would like you to check out the Jinkx Monsoon documentary, "Drag Becomes Him" now available on Amazon.com. In his spare time, he gets slightly obsessive about his love for old movies, challenging theater, "otters", vodka, chocolate, "I,Claudius", Lizzie Borden, real books made out of paper, disaster films, show tunes, Weimar era Germany, flea markets, pop surrealistic art, the sex lives of Hollywood actors both living and dead, kitties, chicken fried steak, haute couture and David Bowie. But, not necessarily in that order.