Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...Nine really is a homage to the creatures of the entertainment business whose little crises so fascinate us all. This production goes some way toward celebrating the flim and the flam, but doesn't peer sufficiently deeply into the accompanying mirror, with its reflections of the flimsy."
Chicago Sun Times - Recommended
"...The production, directed by L. Walter Stearns, with expert music direction by Eugene Dizon, lavish choreography by Brenda Didier and inspired design work, is among the company's most sophisticated efforts."
Daily Herald - Recommended
"...Sexy and stylish, Porchlight's production of the Maury Yeston-Arthur Kopit musical, inspired by Federico Fellini's seminal, semi-autobiographical 1963 film "8½," is extremely well-sung."
SouthtownStar - Highly Recommended
"...Nine couldn't have soared to such delicious sensual heights without director L. Walter Stearns' elegant staging, Eugene Dizon's impeccable musical direction, Brenda Didier's sensational choreography, a charismatic leading man and a bevy of bombshell babes."
Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended
"...Under Eugene Dizon's musical direction, Yeston's witty, sometimes ravishing songs are beautifully delivered by the 13-member cast. But though the production conveys an appropriately Felliniesque earthiness, director L. Walter Stearns hasn't solved the main problem of Kopit's book: how to make an audience care about the neurotic, narcissistic protagonist and the ladies who enable him."
Windy City Times - Recommended
"...Director L. Walter Sterns once again shows his skills at rethinking the scale of a big Broadway show and reshaping it down to its essentials for a thrilling production."
Chicago Free Press - Somewhat Recommended
"...with the help of a few strong character actresses and a pitch-perfect chorus, director L. Walter Stearns delivers some entertaining moments. As Luisa Contini, Contini’s long-suffering wife, Heather Townsend has a pure, lovely sound and manages to find something approaching sincerity in her shallowly written role. Employing a wryly campy style, belter Danielle Brothers makes the character of Contini’s producer Lillian LaFleur a standout."
Gay Chicago Magazine - Recommended
"...The creative and technical talent in the cast, direction, musical direction, design and execution of this production is staggering. The adult performances are flawless and infused with energy that thrills and captivates but the excitement that it elicits lasts only as long as the moments of delivery because the material is “in one ear and out the other” forgettable."
EpochTimes - Recommended
"...Brenda Didier's choreography is right on using the newly revamped stage at the Theatre Building more open and wide for some kicks and a marvelous number to end the first act.Kevin Depinet's simple set works well with the pieces he moves about and some great props and Bill Morey's costumes are very "fitting" for the period and theme."
Copley News Service - Recommended
"...The five-piece orchestra conducted by Eugene Dizon provides excellent off stage musical accompaniment. ‘Nine’ isn¹t a dancing show, but Brenda Didier maximizes her opportunities as a choreographer in the “Follies Bergere” showcase and especially in the delightful “Be Italian” number highlighted by the use of massed tambourines. Kevin Depinet designed the set, Julian Pike the lighting, and Bill Morey the impressive wardrobe of costumes, ranging from those basic black dresses to the wonderfully over-the-top outfits in the “Follies Bergere” number."
Talkin Broadway - Highly Recommended
"...With this production, Porchlight gives the piece its due, but even more impressively, gives us a caliber of performance we might not have thought possible from a mostly non-Equity cast and the performance space of the Theatre Building Chicago. Once again, Eugene Dizon shows why he's always the one to beat for Music Direction at the annual Jeff Awards."
Time Out Chicago - Recommended
"...Stearns’s direction here is a huge step up from his previous outing (last fall’s seemingly thrown-together Phantom, another Kopit-Yeston work). Though we occasionally were distracted by the poor quality of Bill Morey’s costumes and Julian H. Pike’s overpowering lighting design, those minor flaws are more than made up for by Stearns’s strong conception, Brenda Didier’s smart but never-showy choreography and the stalwart cast."
ChicagoCritic - Recommended
"...Nine is a stylized, slick, well sung and sophisticated musical long on sensuality and emotional performances. Jeff Parker is sensational as Guido. Eugene Dizon’s orchestra filled the stage with Yeston’s haunting music. Director Walter Stearns has a smoothly engaging show that intertwines artsy movement and clever choreography (by Brenda Didier) to tell Guido’s story."
Chicago Stage and Screen - Highly Recommended
"...Director Stearns is at his creative best with this production, bringing innovation and humor throughout. Note how the older Guido becomes a mirror image for his younger self, the introduction of bright red in an enormous feather boa for the "Follies Bergeres" number and the ornate costuming by Bill Morey of "The Grand Canal," and the witty use of a bathtub on wheels. Dizon leads a stellar 5-piece offstage orchestra, bringing his remarkable talents to every note and phrase. Having watched Porchlight's steady growth over the past decade, I am pleased to report that they are at the top of their game with 'Nine'."
