Tony winner Santino Fontana will star in a concert presentation of Maury Yeston's Nine this summer at the Transport Group. The musical, the latest in the Anne L. Bernstein Concert Series, will be presented June 26 at 8 PM in Merkin Hall.
The concert will feature the show's original 25-piece orchestrations (by Jonathan Tunick), as well as backstage stories about the original Broadway production, which starred Raúl Juliá, Karen Akers, and Anita Morris. Directed by Jack Cummings III, the concert will feature material written by Hannah Oren, and musical direction by Joey Chancey.
Additional casting and featured guests will be announced at a later date.
With music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and a book by Arthur Kopit, Nine tells the story of a famous film director who is suffering from a creative block—and personal difficulties with his wife, mistress, the actress who serves as his muse, and his female producer. The work is adapted from Federico Fellini's 1963 film 8 1/2. The musical opened on Broadway at the 46th Street Theatre May 9, 1982. The musical, directed by Tommy Tune with choreography by Thommie Walsh, played 729 performances before closing on February 4, 1984. The production earned five Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and was revived in 2003.
