Rating: 3.5
The tagline of this particular show says, “Be Italian”, and while some of the dialogue is indeed in Italian (and sometimes even French), one does not need to have an understanding of these foreign languages to appreciate Nine, produced by Atlantis Productions. The play is headlined by a powerhouse cast who prove to the audience their skill in reinventing their capacities. The cast members have made it evident that acting in a play is not simply memorizing the script, but also internalizing the strengths and weaknesses of their respective roles.
Jett Pangan (Guido Contini), accompanied by Eula Valdez (Claudia Nardi), Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo (Luisa Del Forno), and Cherie Gil (Liliane La Fleur), among others, was able to entertain the audience with his smooth transition of being serious to being absolutely hilarious. He was able to capture the old dignified European style of living, at the same time teaching everyone a lesson that what a person has learned while he was young never leaves him as he grows old. Surrounded by the many women in his life, the story keeps everyone intrigued as to whether Guido Contini will be able to take hold of his life before it spirals out of control. The women were enchanting, partly because of their European accents, but also partly because of their old world-meets-new flair. Their varied personalities were able to breathe new life into the play.
Still, the most breathtaking and symbolic facet of the play lay in the set. The set, which is comprised of many levels of stairs shaped in a pyramidal manner, was very functional. It provided the actors with their own space, and is also a good reminder that life is fraught with ups and downs. Like Guido Contini’s life as a filmmaker, it is definitely full of drama.
