by Rod Jones
The provocative musical “Nine,” inspired by Federico Fellini's semi-autobiographical film “8½,” takes the Burg Theatre stage for three performances this weekend at Oklahoma City University’s Bass School of Music at N.W. 24th Street and Blackwelder Avenue.
Performances at the Burg Theatre are 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with a 3 p.m. Sunday matinee. Tickets ($10, open seating) are available online at okcu.edu/tickets or by calling 405-208-5227.
The Tony Award-winning musical debuted in 1982 and was revived on Broadway in 2003, inspiring the 2009 movie starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Penélope Cruz, Judi Dench, Nicole Kidman and Sophia Loren. OCU’s 28-member cast tells the story of film director Guido Contini as he wrestles with a mid-life crisis and is revisited by women from his past and present.
The show, which features mature themes, is directed by David Herendeen. Music direction is by Cara Chowning in her OCU debut. Music and lyrics are by Maury Yeston; the book is by Arthur Kopit.
OCU’s Oklahoma Opera and Music Theater Company season continues with Gaetano Donizetti’s comic opera buffa “Don Pasquale” Nov. 20 to 22; W.A. Mozart’s operatic fantasy “The Magic Flute” Feb. 19 to 21; the one-act opera“Jackie O” March 4 to 6, with composer Michael Daugherty in residence; and the Tony Award-winning musical “Evita” by the award-winning team of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, inspired by the life and death of Argentina’s Eva Perron, April 22 to 24.
