The Tony Award winning Best Musical NINE will hit the stage at Performance Works on Granville Island on June 2nd, care of Pipedream Theatre Project.
Fresh off their Ovation Award nominated production of William Finn’s A New Brain, Pipedream Theatre Project is excited to bring this hauntingly beautiful musical to Vancouver audiences. The recent film adaptation of the musical garnered four Academy Award nominations, and was filled with an all-star cast including Daniel Day-Lewis as Guido Contini.
April Green, who is producing the musical for Pipedream, shared why Pipedream chose to stage the show shortly after the film was released. “We were aware that the film was going to come out first – and that was okay with us. While popular amongst musical theatre enthusiasts, the show is so large that most theatre companies have shied away from producing it. We were also aware of the tremendous musical theatre talent in Vancouver, and so this is a chance to showcase of some of Vancouver’s best local talent.”
The New York Times has called the show “hallucinatory and entertaining”, and the original production won four Tony Awards, including Best Musical. A revival of the show in 2003, starring Antonio Banderas in his Broadway debut, won two Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical.
“It’s a joy to direct this incredible show” says Mike Mackenzie, who is back at the helm after 2009’s production of A New Brain. “It is an absolute dream come true to work with such a talented and hard working cast and this amazing artistic team. We can’t wait for audiences to see it – it’s like nothing Vancouver has ever seen before”, Mackenzie adds.
The cast includes Brian McBride as Guido Contini, Kathy Fitzpatrick as Luisa Contini, Deborah Allman as Liliane LaFleur, Madeleine Suddaby as Carla, Britt McLeod as Claudia and Stephanie Liatopolous as Sarraghina. Joining them are Tristin Wayte, Erin Walker, Ashley Bishop, Jennifer Doan, Laura Koberstein, Meagan Ekelund, Lauren Gula, Ashley Macdonald, Christina Wells, Erika Babins, Javia Selina, Johanna Goosen, Lauren Morrow, Megan Phillips, Michaela Scott, Rebecca Friesen, Shantini Klaassen, Vanessa Coley-Donahue, Calvin Campbell, and Elizabeth Barry.
The artistic team includes Kevin Michael Cripps, who is musical director, and choreographer Meagan Ekelund with direction by Mike Mackenzie. Marshall McMahen is designing the sets, Alia Stephen is the lighting designer, and Zoe Green, Jui Kang, Christine Quintana and Chantelle Balfour are the costume designers. The show is being produced by April Green.
NINE previews at Performance Works on Granville Island on June 2nd, with the Gala opening night on Thursday, June 3rd, and performances continue until June 6th.
Tickets are on sale now at www.ticketstonight.ca. For more information on the show, visit Pipedream Theatre Project’s website – www.pipedream.ca.