Stephen Low wanted an artistic challenge. While the last three years have seen UC Follies revisit such Broadway hits as A Chorus Line and Jesus Christ Superstar under the skillful direction of Elena Mosoff, Low has his sights set on exploring a more arty and obscure production.
Low chose the musical Nine, based on Italian cinema legend Fredrico Fellini’s 1963 autobiographical film 8 ½, about a filmmaker suffering from writer’s block. The title is a joke about his total artistic output to date: six full-length films, two shorts and a movie he co-directed add up to 7 ½ movies, with the project he’s struggling to finish potentially advancing the count to 8 ½. The film was adapted into a musical by Arthur Kopit and Maury Yeston in the early eighties, and in homage to Fellini the duo decided to count their adaptation as another half-credit creating a revised total of Nine.
The plot centres around Guido Contini, a filmmaker who’s enjoyed past success but is currently frustrated in his attempts to pen another masterpiece. To make matters worse, his marriage is on the rocks and the remote spa he’s holed up in is under assault by furious film producers and jealous ex-mistresses.
“Nine is exciting because it was adapted from this brilliant film, but it also stands on its own,” said Low, a third-year student of English Literature and Sexual Diversity Studies at University College. Detouring from the Follies’ recent run of high-profile shows, Low wanted to show audiences something less well-known that they might not have the chance to see anyplace else.
“Somewhere in the world there’s a production of Oklahoma every day of the week,” he noted during a break from rehearsal in the basement of Morrison Hall. In an effort to escape predictability, and realizing that directing the Follies’ ensemble of students and young professionals was the perfect (and possibly only) opportunity to mount this hidden gem, Low set about re-inventing Nine with gusto.
Despite having two Broadway productions (the debut in 1982 starring Raúl Juliá as Contini, and a revival in 2003 with Antonio Banderas in the leading role) Nine has largely flown under the pop-culture radar, which is one of the main reasons Low chose it. Since most audience members will be seeing the show for the first time and won’t bring memories or expectations from previous performances, Low opted to “explore the show with a team of actors and designers.” A by-the-numbers revival simply wouldn’t do.
One interesting choice by Low is the use of bed sheets in the set. “The show is about sex and love, but it’s also about film,” he said. And as everyone with an old film projector in the attic knows, bed sheets make great impromptu movie screens. The cast uses the sheets to play with shadow and light, and also to represent the two-dimensional view the womanizing Contini initially has of his wife and ex-mistresses.
With just a little over a week to go before opening night, Low is confident in his cast, an ensemble he says is “incredible” to work with. He gushes that he “could not have asked for a better group.” This is good news, as Low is quick to acknowledge that his job ends when the lights go down. “As a director, all my work is in the process. I don’t get an opening night.”
The production includes black-and-white costumes created by Julia Long to evoke the feel of early cinema, and features Follies veterans David Pereira (J.C. in Jesus Christ Superstar) and Jamie Arfin (Val in A Chorus Line) among others.
Nine opens Feb. 7 and runs until Feb. 18 at Hart House Theatre.
For tickets call the Hart House Theatre box office at: 416-978-8849 or visit
www.uofttix.ca
