Variety take a glimpse at "Nine"

There was an interesting article on the upcoming film adaptation of Maury Yeston & Arthur Kopit’s Nine in this week’s Variety. The 1982 musical, which won several Tony Awards including Best Musical, was itself a loose adaptation of Federico Fellini’s 8 1/2. Included in the article were some tidbits about casting, Daniel Day-Lewis’ singing and his on-set Method existence, director Rob Marshall’s concept (which isn’t far removed from what he did in Chicago) and the new songs Yeston wrote for the film. Here is the information on the three new songs as reported by the trade (with my thoughts in post-script).

“Guarda la Luna” (Look at the Moon), sung by [Sophia] Loren. “We were lucky enough to have someone who was part of that great period of Italian cinema, who knew Fellini, who knew Marcello Mastroianni (Guido in the Fellini film),” Yeston says. So he tailored a lullaby specifically for Loren’s voice (but based the melody on the song “Nine” from the Broadway score).

— Having seen Man of La Mancha, I am aware of Loren’s vocal limitations. The title song of Nine is sung by Guido’s mother, and is a showcase for a mature soprano. Taina Elg introduced the song in the original cast, and it was sung by Mary Beth Peil and Marni Nixon in the Broadway revival with Antonio Banderas. I’m curious to see how this new song works within the context of the musical, and am glad to see at least some element of the original song will remain.

“Cinema Italiano,” for Hudson as a Vogue writer in Rome to interview the director. “Italian movies also communicated lifestyle and fashion for the world,” Yeston says, so [Kate] Hudson sings and dances to a number with “a retro feel, elements of ’60s pop” that is designed to illustrate to younger audiences how important Italian cinema was in that era.

— Nothing like trying to pander to that coveted youth bracket, which seems to be the only reason this song exists. Stephanie Necrophorus is a rather small part in the stage show, so this would seem like an opportunity to give Hudson more to do, especially since Liliane La Fleur (played by Judi Dench) is no longer a producer, but Contini’s costume designer. However, if the message boards on IMDb are to be trusted, most people who have been to screenings feel this song is out of place. My curiosity is piqued. (Speaking of Nine screenings, Roxie and I were approached prior to Mary Stuart to see if we’d like to go to one, but unfortunately we both had prior engagements).

“Take It All,” originally written as a trio for [Nicole] Kidman, [Penelope] Cruz and [Marion] Cotillard but, just before shooting, rearranged as a solo for Cotillard, according to music supervisor Matt Sullivan. “Heart-wrenching” is how Yeston describes the performance by Cotillard (who won an Oscar playing Edith Piaf).

— This one better be good. “Simple” and “Be On Your Own” were cut to make way for this new song, probably a ploy to garner some Oscar attention in the Best Song category. As much as I enjoy Maury Yeston and Marion Cotillard, I cannot imagine Luisa having a more effective song than “Be On Your Own.”

I’ve also been told that “The Bells of St. Sebastian” and the entire “Grand Canal” sequence have been cut, so it should be interesting to see what director Rob Marshall has come up with. Word is that Stacy “Fergie” Ferguson delivers a dynamite performance of “Be Italian.” Regardless, I love Nine and I look forward to seeing it (all those Oscar winners!). My real curiosity is seeing if the stage show translates well to the screen.

Okay so this gets me excited…

There is almost too much sexy in this picture for me to handle. Principal filming on the upcoming film adaptation of Maury Yeston’s Nine is underway. Rob Marshall who made an impressive motion picture debut with the 2002 Best Picture winner Chicago is directing a cast including Oscar winners Daniel Day-Lewis, Judi Dench, Marion Cotillard, Sophia Loren, Nicole Kidman; Oscar nominees Penelope Cruz and Kate Hudson. Oh, and Fergie.

I wasn’t sure what I thought about a film adaptation of Nine, as it is an rather abstract concept musical that takes place in the mind of Guido Contini, a film director facing a mid-life crisis, an inspirational nadir and divorce from his frustrated wife. Through the course of the show he interacts with all the women of his life, both past and present, including his wife, mistress, muse, mother, a prostitute from his childhood, his French film producer, among others. In a brilliant move, Contini is the only major male role in the musical (a flashback to the encounter with Saraghina, the prostitute, incorporates 1-3 young boys) and the great deal of the show allows diva after diva to have a turn.
Producer Liliane LaFleur has “Folies Bergere,” Mistress Carla sings “A Call from the Vatican,” Muse Claudia gets to sing the haunting ballad “Unusual Way” and Mrs. Luisa Contini sings the devastating “My Husband Makes Movies” and “Be on Your Own.” The score is, for my money, the strongest Yeston has ever written. The “Overture delle Donne” is sung through by the ladies of the cast and the entire ensemble pulls out all the stops in the second act mini opera “The Grand Canal,” an elaborate fifteen minute piece detailing his idea for a film about Casanova, based on elements from his own life.

Seeing this picture, however, I am more than excited to see how this turns out. Thoughts?