Nine - The Musical (2003 Broadway Revival Cast)

Laura Benanti, Jane Krakowski, Nine (Related Recordings), Antonio Banderas, Chita Rivera, Maury Yeston

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 17, 2003)
• Original Release Date: June 3, 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: P.S. Classics
• ASIN: B00008Z1NB
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #23,638 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
This version of Maury Yeston's Nine is so finely wrought that it deservedly won the 2003 Tony for Best Revival. While not a blockbuster, the original 1982 production, staged by Tommy Tune, was a nice success and allowed Raul Julia to make a splash as the only man in an otherwise entirely feminine cast. Inspired by Fellini's film 8 1/2, Nine succeeds in creating a strong male lead while parcelling out great songs to several different women. The mere fact that Antonio Banderas doesn't get eaten alive by the power cast around him (Chita Rivera, Mary Stuart Masterson, Jane Krakowski, and Laura Benanti) testifies to his charisma; even better, his singing is surprisingly confident ("Only with You" is downright sweet). And leave it to the Broadway pros to shine like diamonds: Listen, in particular, as Jane Krakowski steals the show with her sassy delivery of "A Call from the Vatican." You may need a cold shower after that one. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Product Description
Winner of 5 Tony Awards®, including Best Musical, the show the New York Post hailed as "a true original" and The Daily News called "brilliant, daring, innovative and divine" returns in a spectacular new production. The new broadway cast recording includes Antonio Banderas with music and lyrics by Maury Yeston.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A stellar version of "Nine", April 11, 2005

By	Steven Valenti "svclue" (Cleveland, OH) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This revival recording of "Nine" is superb. I actually prefer it to the original Broadway recording and the London concert version (which are both fine). Maury Yeston's music and lyrics are among the best for any modern musical, and the cast here is ideal.

The performances are exemplary, from Antonio Banderas as womanizing film director Guido Contini and Mary Stuart Masterson as his long-suffering wife Luisa, to Laura Benanti, Jane Krakowski, and the rest. Their singing easily matches or surpasses the previous casts, and their acting on the whole is stronger. They just feel more assured to me. Banderas also sounds more feasibly Italian than previous Guidos, which is useful in terms of the character. For their part, the women put on fake accents, which has the potential to be a distraction, but here didn't bother me at all.

Highlights from the score and this album include Banderas's charismatic rendition of "Guido's Song," Krakowski's sexy "A Call from the Vatican," Benanti's almost impossibly-beautiful version of "Unusual Way," and Masterson's bitter and expertly acted "Be On Your Own." The orchestra here is smaller than previous versions, but this doesn't detract in any significant way. The strength of the music and the performances comes through just fine.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's not a 9, It's a 10!!!, June 22, 2003

By	"boop455" (TX) - See all my reviews

Nine is one of my favorite musicals. This is the best recording of it out of the three recordings you can buy. Antonio Banderas can sing! He surpasses Raul Julia on the OBC and Jonathon Pryce on the OLC as Guido Contini by far. "Guido's Song" is phenomenal on how he gets his confused feelings across. But the real gem of this album is of course THE WOMEN! The amazing Chita Rivera (West Side Story, Bye Bye Birdie, Kiss of the Spider Woman) is perfect as Liliane La Fleur. Her "Folies Bergeres" is the best you will ever hear. Laura Benanti (Into the Woods) brings an incredible Italian flair to Claudia Nardi. Her "Unusual Way" is unbelievable in it's feeling. Mary Stuart Masterson, in her musical debut, IS the Luisa Contini we've all been waiting for. Her "My Husband Makes Movies" is fantastic and her "Be On Your Own" sends chills down my spine every time I hear it. My personal favorite on the album is Jane Krakowski (Once Upon a Mattress, Company, Grand Hotel) as Carla, Guido's mistress. Her "Call From the Vatican" is so sensual and sexy and is awesome from start to finish. Her "Simple" is great as well. Other great songs are the hilarious "Be Italian", and the touching "Only With You". Nine is a must have for any musical theater lover and will be in your CD player forever.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Were there any Germans at this spa?, July 9, 2003

By	Michael Sassella (CANBERRA, Australian Capital Territory, Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

NINE is one of my fave shows. We enjoyed a very fine production of NINE in Australia in 1987-1988 from which emerged an excellent original cast recording on Polydor label. That version migrated to the TER/JAY label about 10 years ago and was written up by Kurt Ganzl as the best version of the show on record at that time.

I looked forward to this new recording, encouraged by the stellar casting and by the generally impressive qualities of today's Broadway cast recordings. Initial impressions were positive. The score had not been hacked about or rearranged in any major way, except perhaps for the Follies Bergere song which had been extended. However, I then noticed the glaring omission of one of the funniest and most interesting songs on earlier cast albums, "The Germans at the Spa". Is it in this revival of the show and simply omitted from the CD? For whatever reason the song has been omitted and it remains unfortunate.

More generally the new recording has some desirable features. I liked Antonio Banderas. I thought he made a convincing Guido and coped admirably with the demands of the score. I had seen his segment on the telecast of the TONY AWARDS and had been impressed. It is also beautifully produced both sonically and in the CD packaging and presentation. Some of the women shine and I agree that Jane Krakowski is absolutely outstanding. I also agree that the role of Luisa comes across as hard and unfortunate. I will be in the minority but I was also unimpressed with Chita Rivera. Her Liliane lacked the variety and fineness of touch of her predecessors in the 1982 Broadway recording and the Australian recording.

I disagree with some of the others who have written suggesting that NINE is anything other than a top draw Broadway show. I have long thought it one of the cleverest, most musical shows of recent times. This recording shows why it may be that, but it does so less satisfactorily than the Raul Julia 1982 and the Australian 1988 versions.