Nine (Westchester Broadway Theatre)

When the Westchester Broadway Theatre announced a few months ago that it would present the musical "Nine," it proudly noted that it would be the first professional revival to add one or two of the new songs that Maury Yeston had written for Rob Marshall's "Nine" film. (Coincidentally, Marshall directed a production of "A Chorus Line" at Westchester Broadway Theatre in 1991.)

But keep in mind that the song announcement was made shortly before the film became a universally panned, reviled box-office disaster. I can't help but think that associating the production with the movie would now be more of a dangerous liability than a smart marketing angle.

So it's a great relief to report that the production is actually not using any of the three songs written specifically for the movie, none of which were very good. (When I first heard that news bit, I really feared that songs like "Nine" or "Be On Your Own" would be cut, just as in the film version. It's really refreshing to hear the entire original score intact.)

Jonathan Stahl's production looks extremely similar to the original 1982 Broadway production. Set in a pristine, white-tiled spa, the theater's large thrust stage is covered with pedestals reserved for the many women who crowd Guido Contini's mind.

Truth be told, the show is still in the process of finding its footing and is likely to get stronger. At my performance, the pace was rather slow, the humor too downplayed, and the cast occasionally out of synch with the small orchestra. Act 2, which is more emotional and also easier to stage, is more successful than the mostly disjointed and somewhat leaden Act 1. But the production is very well-sung throughout and thoroughly well-cast.

Robert Cuccioli, who is best known for the Broadway musical "Jekyll & Hyde," would appear to be an ideal choice for Guido. Not only can he sing the vocally demanding role with relative ease, he's even Italian! True, he now looks a bit older than 39, but he definitely still has matinee idol presence. (I'll never forget seeing an adult woman have what appeared to be an actual orgasm in a Broadway theater when he sang "This is the Moment" 12 years ago.) Yet in emphasizing Guido's emotional and mental paralysis, the blank-faced Cuccioli is too downbeat and passive. But his performance does grow considerably as the musical itself continues. (Coincidentally, Westchester Broadway Theatre will be staging "Jekyll & Hyde" later this season, but I'm guessing Cuccioli doesn't want to bark up that tree again.)

The women who make up the supporting cast are sensational. Julie Tolivar, playing Guido's mistress Carla in a revealing lace bodystocking, is particularly excellent. Rather than descend from above, like Jane Krakowski in the Broadway revival, Tolivar ascends from below for "A Call From The Vatican." Glory Crampton, as Guido's much ignored wife Luisa, looks on with restraint and skepticism for most of the show, but finally explodes in the climactic song "Be On Your Own." (Growing up in NJ, I saw Crampton perform in many musicals at Paper Mill Playhouse such as "Carousel," "My Fair Lady" and "Camelot," and really enjoyed the chance to see her again onstage.)

This revival serves as a strong reminder of just how brilliant the stage version of "Nine" is in comparison to its dreary film version. It's also refreshing to see such a somber and sexual musical produced in a traditional dinner theater environment.

This marked my first time attending a show at the Westchester Broadway Theatre. It's really quite a large space, with a three-quarter thrust stage that worked quite well for the staging of "Nine." The food was more than decent, and I was relieved that patrons eat before and not throughout the performance itself. If time permits, I'm really interested in attending their upcoming production of "Sugar," which is hardly ever staged.

Playing at Westchester Broadway Theatre in Elmsford

One Broadway Plaza, 914-592-2222, broadwaytheatre.com. Through April 24.