Director/producer/choreographer Rob Marshall is no stranger to the challenges of making successful musicals and movies. He triumphed with “Chicago,” which won six Oscars, including Best Picture, and another three for “Memoirs of a Geisha.” 
His new musical is titled “Nine, ” based on the Tony Award-winning 1982 Broadway production of “Nine” that was based on Federico Fellini's classic "81/2," starring Daniel Day-Lewis and a bevy of female stars, from Sophia Loren to Penelope Cruz to Fergie.
Marshall talks about the state of musicals, getting Loren -- and his next project with Capt. Jack Sparrow.
People keep saying that the musical’s a dying genre.
It all has to do with the execution. Everyone said gladiator movies were dead -- then Ridley Scott came along. My hope is that musicals continue to flourish because there’s nothing like it, when they work. And I’ll keep making them, as long as I find the right projects.
It all has to do with the execution. Everyone said gladiator movies were dead -- then Ridley Scott came along. My hope is that musicals continue to flourish because there’s nothing like it, when they work. And I’ll keep making them, as long as I find the right projects.
What’s the main challenge of making a musical?
Musicals on stage are so different. It’s accepted that it’s totally artificial. But film is so real, so you have to ensure that the material translates to the medium. I took my key from Fellini and the way he moved so seamlessly from fantasy to reality to memory, because the big issue with all musicals is, “Why are they suddenly singing?” It’s that cringe moment! And if you don’t solve that upfront, you can go down the wrong track very easily.
Musicals on stage are so different. It’s accepted that it’s totally artificial. But film is so real, so you have to ensure that the material translates to the medium. I took my key from Fellini and the way he moved so seamlessly from fantasy to reality to memory, because the big issue with all musicals is, “Why are they suddenly singing?” It’s that cringe moment! And if you don’t solve that upfront, you can go down the wrong track very easily.
For me, the solution was to have the musical numbers as fantasies taking place in Guido’s mind. That gave me the license to suddenly switch to these big numbers and make them work as part of the whole.
What drew you to “Nine”?
I was anxious not to repeat “Chicago,” and what was so intriguing about this material is that it covers a wide spectrum of human emotions. It’s not a classic narrative. It’s not the rise and fall of a man -- but about a man in crisis, and that’s challenging.
I was anxious not to repeat “Chicago,” and what was so intriguing about this material is that it covers a wide spectrum of human emotions. It’s not a classic narrative. It’s not the rise and fall of a man -- but about a man in crisis, and that’s challenging.
On stage it’s pretty much all a fantasy, and I wanted this to be reality-based, with fantasy and memory. And then it’s based on Fellini’s “81/2,” an iconic masterpiece you can’t duplicate. So you have to make a hard left turn -- and thankfully as a musical we’re a different genre. We’re more in the tradition and trajectory of “Sweet Charity.”
How confident was Daniel Day-Lewis as a song-and-dance man?
Pretty confident,. He’s played in bands and sung -- and he has a beautiful voice. But he worked very hard to find the right size of his voice to match his vocal range as an actor. He found it very rewarding – but also terrifying at the same time.
Pretty confident,. He’s played in bands and sung -- and he has a beautiful voice. But he worked very hard to find the right size of his voice to match his vocal range as an actor. He found it very rewarding – but also terrifying at the same time.
Penelope Cruz is quite a revelation doing her sexy bump-and-grind number.
She was the first actor I met, and she wanted it so badly. We actually began casting before we began writing, and she sang for a couple of roles, including Claudia, that Nicole Kidman ended up playing.
She was the first actor I met, and she wanted it so badly. We actually began casting before we began writing, and she sang for a couple of roles, including Claudia, that Nicole Kidman ended up playing.
