Maria Brings a Ten to Nine

Maria Mercedes talks to Coral Drouyn about the special one off charity concert performance of the musical NINE.

It’s very rarely that an actress gets to reprise the same role in a musical, years apart. It’s even rarer when it is almost 30 years apart; and yet that’s precisely what the amazing Maria Mercedes is doing in a special concert version mounted for the Think Pink Foundation.

“I was actually far too young to play Luisa the first time round,” Maria tells me, “and I’m probably a little too old this time, but if you take an average between the two – I’m perfect.”

Maria has spent the past several years winning critical acclaim and accolades for her performance as Maria Callas in Masterclass, a role of a lifetime for her.

“I identify so closely with Callas,” she says. “Maybe because we are both Greek. But I’ve always wanted to revisit Nine. The first production was a dream for me, playing opposite John Diedrich, and composer Maury Yeston flying out to see us and saying he loved it more than the Tony winning Broadway production. I mean, that was just astonishing.”

Nine is basically the story of Federico Fellini, the Italian film Director whose iconic film “8½” was semi biographical about his mid-life crisis.

“It wasn’t a huge hit here,” Maria tells me, “but everyone loved it and I always thought it would be perfect for a concert version. I must have bored a lot of people suggesting it, and now, lo and behold, it’s happening. And it couldn’t be for a better cause.”

The cause is The Think Pink Foundation, which is a Godsend to those suffering from Breast Cancer. We all associate the pink ribbons with Jane, wife of Aussie cricketer Glen McGrath. But the foundation was actually founded by Irene Hendel, and through her, the foundation will touch almost every woman in Australia in some way.

“I’ve been very lucky that none of the women in my family has been struck with breast cancer,” Maria says, “but I have friends and colleagues who have been, and the work the foundation does has been such a comfort to them.”

So when Karen Jemison, of Manilla Street Productions, decided to produce the concert fundraiser, artists clamoured to be part of it.

“It’s a tribute to Think Pink that so many people wanted to be on board,” Karen adds. “As of now there’s a 30 piece orchestra directed by David Wisken, and almost 50 in the cast of singers and dancers.”

And if that’s not impressive enough, some of Australia’s biggest stars of Music Theatre will play the leads.

Maria is excited.

“The wonderful Michael Cormick is playing Guido - the role based on Fellini - what a voice, what a star. And there’s my old mate Chelsea Gibb. I’m Godmother to one of her children, and Lucy Maunder, Alinta Chidzey, Fem Belling, Claire Lyon, Susan-Ann Walker, Samantha Morley and myself as the women. That’s a lot of voice on one stage.”

I wondered if Maria remembered the script and songs once she started rehearsing.

“Well of course you retain elements of every role through muscle memory, but I actually found I didn’t retain as much as I thought I had. I’ve been so caught up with the roles since then. You know, Fellini adored women – they influenced every moment of his life. That’s why this is the perfect vehicle to raise funds for Think Pink. If Fellini were alive today I don’t have any doubt that it’s a cause he would support. People think of the 1960s and assume he would have seen women just as sex objects but that’s not true. He had deep respect for them. He worshipped them.”

There is so much on in Melbourne right now. Is there a danger this might creep under the radar?

“I hope not,” Maria says. “This is wonderful theatre, full of beautiful music, and heart and humour. Remember it’s only one night, Monday Oct 31^st. If you love Musicals you have to see it. Save the others for some other time.”

NINE

Melbourne Recital Centre

Monday Oct 31st

Images: Maria Mercedes, & Michael Cormick, Alinta Chidzey, David Wisken & Irene Hendel O.A.M