Sweet Charity

“Sweet Charity” is an iconic sixties show which demands that the audience suspend many of their usual expectations of a musical.  It is very much a creature of its time.  When compared with the other “biggies” of its day, it develops the construction and style of genre.  The influence of Bob Fosse’s conception is ignored at your peril and the concept of a fully choreographed show remains problematic to audiences.  Fortunately it benefits from a tight script by the master comic writer Neil Simon and lyrics by the great Dorothy Fields.  Already we have an A-list of creators and then it is topped with one of Cy Coleman’s best scores.  With all this class working the piece there is not a requirement for the company to add but simply to tell. 

The opening sequence, frequently muddled in the mix of music and many characters, was aided first by some appropriate drama played out during the overture and then by the determination of the cast to get the lines across.  It is always difficult to maintain acceptable American accents and clarity of diction.  This had been worked upon and for the most achieved without over presentation.  The build-up was well timed so that there was laughter to go with surprise when Charity was dumped into the pond.   The overture clearly set out the concept of the piece with the stylised movement and mime.  This was well maintained throughout the presentation and was especially successful in the iconic club scene where the tribute to the great Bob Fosse was choreographed with intelligence. 

The show is rather lengthy by modern standards and the Director wisely chose to keep the pace up.  This was most effective; resisting the temptation to dragging out some of the drama, but hurtling to Charity’s destiny.  This was particularly successful in the cameo scenes with Vittorio, the lift and trapped on the ferris-wheel.  Against this is the need to reflect the boredom of the waiting hours in the ballroom.  The hostesses were rather too entertained to get this across but the hectoring Herman certainly conveyed the contrast.  Shows need energy to succeed and it is very difficult to convey boredom effectively and be enthusiastic for the piece.  The audience appreciated the energy.  “Big Spender” reflected the Fosse posing rather than the gum chewing boredom, but was most effective and thoroughly enjoyed by the audience. 

The production team had put in considerable thought to the staging of this complicated piece with its many and varied scenes.  All departments complemented each other to maintain the pace and therefore the interest of the audience without long pauses between scene changes which often destroys this complex show.  Charity should tip Vittorio’s hat to their efforts. 

Ingeniously conceived and constructed scenery was complemented by atmospheric lighting and period costumes and hair.  Characters were well defined and quickly established so that the contrasts, so vital to this piece, were clearly evident.  This was very evident between the hostesses who all developed interesting characters which we found amusing in their weariness: highlighted by the nicely enthusiastic new girl in Act Two.   

The men are asked to display a lot of acting ability in this show as most of the roles are single scenes and therefore everyone has to appear in various disguises.  This worked well, although I felt the three regular costumers since 1956 could have been older and more jaded.  In this production the girls were also asked to create many and varied characters, which was successfully achieved.  In the present enlightened times I felt the seedy sexual harassment of the period and environment was glossed over – but then it is a musical.

The “Rhythm of Life” produced a striking contrast to the stylised movement of the club, with everyone pretty well off their heads.  Unfortunately the heady mix of the music, the drugs, and the excitement caused the clarity to lapse and it was quite difficult to follow the wonderful jokes.  Neil Simon is an acquired taste and it is so important to make everything clear.  Some of the wonderful witty lines were not set up sufficiently to get the laughter they deserve.  It is the responsibility of the actor with direction to take the audience with him and guide the listener through the text.

The hilarious café scene, played on a half stage, was beautifully played with some excellent timing of lines and amusing visual effects and the vibrant “Love to Cry at Weddings” did its job of stirring up the audience for the denouement.   The conclusion was beautifully set up and Charity fell with grace.

The story of Charity Hope Valentine is such an exhausting one for her and the audience.  It means that there are almost two shows running concurrently with Charity constantly on stage and running to keep up and the rest of the cast dashing from one character to another.  Everyone contributed with energy, led by an inexhaustible Charity who quickly won over the audience and maintained its sympathy throughout.  The feeling that everyone was there to help Charity tell her tale was very clear.

This show has one of Cy Coleman’s most popular scores with hit tumbling after hit.  The beautifully controlled contribution by seven players gave the score every nuance.  The balance achieved without principal personal microphones was exceptionally good.  The company appeared confident in their music and well-rehearsed in the musical direction of the ensemble work.   They produced a pleasant unified sound mostly with good diction even in the fast patter passages.

This is such a difficult, but fabulous, show to perform and there was an electric atmosphere which the audience felt throughout.  The script was delivered with understanding; the wit enjoyed; the music vibrant with enthusiasm and the whole presentation brought together into a most entertaining unity.  The presentation was a wonderful example of NODA South-West’s desire for societies to create effective team work.  Leigh missed out big time!     

Nick Lawrence

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