The New Group’s intimate staging of Sweet Charity officially opened November 20 at The Pershing Square Signature Center. The revival of Neil Simon, Cy Coleman, and Dorothy Fields’ musical is directed by Leigh Silverman and choreographed by Joshua Bergasse.
Two-time Tony winner Sutton Foster stars as Charity Hope Valentine, an unlucky-in-love dance-hall hostess, along with a principal cast made up of Asmeret Ghebremichael (Nickie), Shuler Hensley (Oscar), Emily Padgett (Helene), and Joel Perez (Herman/Vittorio/ Daddy Brubeck). Performances began November 2 for an engagement that has been extended to play through December 30.
There’s talk of a potential Broadway transfer with Tony Award winner Kevin McCollum (Rent, Avenue Q, Something Rotten!) attached as co-producer on the revival. He’s also grooming the new Off-Broadway musical Ride the Cyclone at MCC Theater for a future life.
WILL SWEET CHARITY TRANSFER TO BROADWAY?
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READ MORE: WHY SWEET CHARITY IS THE “HARDEST THING” SUTTON FOSTER HAS EVER DONE
The cast also includes Yesenia Ayala (ensemble), Darius Barnes (ensemble), James Brown III (ensemble), Lori Ann Ferreri (swing), Sasha Hutchings (Rosie/ensemble), Donald Jones, Jr. (ensemble), Nikka Graff Lanzarone (Ursula/ensemble), Cody Williams (ensemble), and Ryan Worsing (swing). The band is made up of Georgia Stitt (music director/keyboard), Elizabeth Hagstedt (bass), Janna Graham (drums), Alexa Tarantino (reeds), Elana Arian (guitar), and Nioka Workman (cello).
Sweet Charity, about a New York City dance-hall hostess looking for love, is based on an original screenplay titled The Nights of Cabiria by Federico Fellini, Tullio Pinelli, and Ennio Plaiano and was originally conceived, staged, and choreographed for the Broadway stage by Bob Fosse. The musical premiered in January 1966 starring the late Gwen Verdon at the Palace Theatre, where it was nominated for nine Tony Awards, and has been revived on Broadway twice since, in 1986 and 2005. The film adaptation, directed by Fosse, premiered in 1969, and was nominated for three Academy Awards.
The production features scenic design by Derek McLane, costume design by Clint Ramos, lighting design by Jeff Croiter, sound design by Leon Rothenberg, make-up design by Joe Dulude II, wig and hair design by Charles G. LaPointe, orchestrations and music supervision by Mary-Mitchell Campbell, and music direction by Stitt. Production supervisor is Production Core, production stage manager is Valerie A. Peterson, and casting is by Judy Henderson, CSA.
Scroll through photos from the revival below:
