FTC’s production of ‘Nine: The Musical’ embraces the fever dream

By Clarissa Biener

Photos by James Suckle

Five Towns College’s Performing Arts Center transformed into a vibrant fever dream from March 5th to 8th, as the Theatre Arts Division staged Nine: The Musical, a Fellini-inspired production.

The musical, based on Federico Fellini’s 8 1/2, follows Italian filmmaker Guido Contini in the 1960s as he navigates his midlife crisis surrounded by his many lovers and a looming deadline for a new film under his direction. “When you pick a show like Nine, you have to know that we have the talent to do it,” said Director Mitchell Walker.

“[Nine is] a cool, beautiful, weird, crazy fever dream of a show,” continued Walker. This production embraced the fever-dream idea from the moment audiences opened the program. In place of a traditional director’s note, the audience was presented with a quiz entitled “Are You a Creative Genius?” with results ranging from “The Emerging Genius” to “The Guido Level Genius.”

Scenic Designer and Technical Director Joe Kenny blends together the grounded moments of emotional connection with the flashy, upbeat musical numbers. “I knew I wanted this selective color with these magentas and these teals, and to play off that black and that silver and that hard studio set,” said Kenny. “And then we got that touch of realism with the spa resorts and the sandbox.”

The color palette is also reflected in Emily Peck’s costume design, mostly black and white with occasional pops of color, and in Laura Alberts’ bright, lively lighting design, which is timed perfectly to the beats with the help of stage manager Monica Athenas’ cues.

Guido’s first entrance comes before the house lights have even dimmed, playing with the sandbox. When the musical begins, the first scene features a working video camera as Guido films himself and the other characters onstage, which is projected onto a screen for the audience to see. This fully immersive technique is used throughout the musical, heightening the audience’s emotions during Guido’s breakdown towards the end of the show.  Felipe Rondon serves as Nine’s Musical Director.

Guido, played by Theatre Arts major Alex McLaughlin, balanced his own emotional turmoil with humor throughout the musical. “Guido’s an inherently funny guy,” said McLaughlin. “He’s a nine-year-old in a forty-year-old’s body. And because of that, he gets himself into a lot of bad situations, and it ends up destroying his life.”

Nine kept the audience on their toes, the immersive fever dream continuing when Guido’s film producer Liliane La Fleur, breaks the fourth wall. La Fleur, played by Musical Theatre major Sammi Rooney, gets to talk directly to the audience during “Folies Bergeres.” Rooney explained that only parts of that scene are scripted, so they had to improvise based on the audience’s responses. “I never really got to do it [outside of rehearsals] until tonight, which is so freaky, and it went a lot better than I thought,” said Rooney. “It’s a little intimidating, for sure, but it’s really fun.”

Act One’s closing song, “Be Italian,” is a moment no one in the audience will soon forget. The number was a literal show-stopper, performed by Vocal Performance major Jo Miletti (Serraghina), who received two ovations over the course of the fiery song and rhythmic chair dance. Miletti commanded the stage with ease and confidence, delivering a breathtaking performance. “I don’t want to say I get possessed by the character, but like, I really do just kind of, like, feel the energy,” said Miletti. “Knowing that there are people out there waiting for a show, I’m just like, well, I have to give a show.”

Both Rooney and Miletti have intricate dance sequences in their songs, the latter featuring a tambourine dance. These numbers, as well as the rest of the show, were choreographed by Musical Theatre major A’Shya Dawson. “It was my first time choreographing here for Five Towns, and it was tough at first because, you know, it was like working with a different group of people and then, you know, trying to trust myself and my skills,” said Dawson. “But as I went along, it just got more and more fun, and then seeing the finished product, oh my gosh, I couldn’t be more grateful for this.”

Dawson also played the role of Claudia, one of Guido’s lovers. Designed by Peck, Claudia’s wardrobe in her Act Two performance of “Unusual Way” gives the audience another memorable moment as Claudia’s elegant cape billows behind her, enhancing the operatic song.

The audience was fully enthralled by the performances. They cheered on Guido’s lovers as they rejected his antics, laughed at well-delivered jokes and physical comedy from characters such as Carla (Solange Itzel Signoret), and cried with Guido during sentimental reunions with his mother (Lianna Rivera) and wife, Luisa (Sophia Burik), toward the finale. “I watched the show, and I realized my friends are going to be on Broadway,” said Five Towns student B. Sam Adler, who attended opening night. “Beautifully performed. The lighting, the sound, everything, it was beautiful.”

For cast members like senior Alex McLaughlin, this is their last time on the Five Towns stage. “I’m sure the day after the final performance, it’ll all come in a wave of, like, the end of an era,” said McLaughlin. “But tonight, it just feels really, really good to be able to do this show with a bunch of people that I love.”

The Theatre Arts Division presents its last show of the semester, Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches, in the Studio Theatre from April 9th through April 12th.