Star Antonio Banderas and Full Cast of Roundabout’s Nine Announced

Antonio Banderas will make his Broadway debut as Guido Contini in the Roundabout Theatre Company’s upcoming Broadway revival of the musical Nine, it was officially announced today. The production will also star Laura Benanti as Claudia, Jane Krakowski as Carla, Mary Stuart Masterson as Luisa, and Broadway legend Chita Rivera as Liliane La Fleur.

Based on the Federico Fellini film 8½, the show — adapted from the Italian by Mario Fratti — has music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and a book by Arthur Kopit. The original Broadway production starred Raul Julia, Karen Akers, and Liliane Montevecchi; it won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1982 in what was generally considered an upset over the Michael Bennett-Henry Krieger-Tom Eyen show Dreamgirls.

The Roundabout’s Nine, directed by David Leveaux, will begin previews on March 11, 2003 and open on April 10 at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre. Featured in the all-female supporting cast and ensemble will be Nell Campbell, Sara Gettelfinger, Deidre Goodwin, Kristin Marks, Linda Mugleston, Saundra Santiago, Elena Shaddow, and Kathy Voytko. Jonathan Butterell will serve as choreographer and Kevin Stites as musical director. Sets, costumes, lighting, and sound will be designed (respectively) by Scott Pask, Victoria Mortimer, Brian MacDevitt, and Jon Weston, sound. New orchestrations will be written for this production by someone yet to be announced.

Like the film upon which it is based, Nine concerns the mid-life crisis of an Italian film director and his interaction with the various women in his life. Aside from Best Musical, the original production won Tonys for Maury Yeston’s score, Tommy Tune’s direction, Liliane Montevecchi’s performance, and William Ivey Long’s costumes. Tickets for the Roundabout production will go on sale beginning November 24 through Telecharge at 212-239-6200.