Sweet Charity

Reviewed by Holly Bartges

Talk about a perfect fit! It is difficult to tell whether Boulder’s Dinner Theatre owns Sweet Charity, or Sweet Charity owns Boulder’s Dinner Theatre. However one chooses to look at it, BDT brings the ever so popular musical to vibrant life.

Alicia Dunfee as Nicki, Joanie Brosseau-Bayette as Charity and Lea L. Chapman as Helene in the Boulder’s Dinner Theatre production of Sweet Charity.

Joanie Brosseau-Beyette doesn’t play Charity. She is the naïve, overly optimistic woman-child looking for love in the midst of skepticism, brick walls, and a very wet lake.

Neil Simon wrote the book for the musical that opened in 1966 at New York’s Palace Theatre running for 608 performances. Based on the film Night of the Cabiria, Dorothy Fields wrote the lyrics and Cy Coleman wrote the music for such memorable songs as “Big Spender” and “If My Friends Could See Me Now.”

The recent revival on Broadway struck a chord with Producer Michael J. Duran that Sweet Charity would snuggle perfectly into BDT’s award–winning life. Was he ever right.

Although Bob Fosse directed and choreographed the original production, Alicia Dunfee has brilliantly adapted the energetic production onto the BDT stage knowing and understanding the huge amount of talent exposed through the intelligent creative cast. The result: a gangbuster production that speaks loudly to valuable optimism in the midst of a cock-eyed upside down world.

The action takes place on a simple but elegant set designed by Amy Campion with an upper level against the back wall that changes color projecting the names of the places Charity inhabits. The Fan-Dango Ballroom could hardly be called elegant, but the girls who work there in their skimpy costumes take care of that part of the atmosphere. Winding staircases on both sides of the upper level add a touch of elegance that Charity yearns for. Colorful flirtatious stylized sassy costumes designed by Linda Morken details the what, how and why, while the sparked detailed lighting designed by Nicholas Kargel places its own emphasis on crucial moments.

Having Neal Dunfee and the BDT orchestra right up front and personal provides an added bonus observing these magical musicians in operation.

In the beginning, Charity meanders happily with her pre-fiancé, Charlie, a much-married man gliding through promises to Charity maintaining his detached cool debonair appearance. Brian Norber may hide behind Charlie’s dark sunglasses, but there’s no mistaking that graceful dancer’s body. Into the lake she goes for the first time. Charlie escapes, several park inhabitants notice someone in the lake with detached aloofness. (What? get my clothes wet for someone I don’t know.)

Yes, the girls of the Fan-Dango headed by Alicia Dunfee as Nicki and Lea Chapman as Helene with their wit, and sliced sarcasm tempered with jaded skeptical affection for the naive Charity rock the house with their song with Charity “There’s Gotta Be Something Better Than This,” and the plaintiff “Baby Dream Your Dream.” Under their incredulous hopelessness there is a wanting for Charity to succeed, knowing full well her glazed optimism will only lead into another brick wall, or lake, as the case may be.

Cindy Lawrence as Suzanne, Shelly Cox-Robie as Carmen, Teresa Cope as Betsy, Lara Chamberlain as Rosie, Christianna Sullins as Frenchy add their individual colorized dead end attitudes all the while grabbing at Charity’s coat-tailed hope. All the while watching to make sure no one sees their wanting. If Charity finds love, then maybe, just maybe, love will find them too.

The Fan-Dango is run by the gruff rough-necked thug Herman spectacularly played by Scott Beyette. Beyette wraps himself in the hard core Herman façade allowing affection for his girls to peak through every once in a while even though his words aren’t exactly of the affectionate nature.

Out on the street, Charity observes the verbal arguments between the film star Vitorrio beautifully portrayed by Brian Jackson oiling Vitorrio’s charm to perfection. His beautiful and elegant girlfriend Ursala, who carries a loud boisterous mouth, is played by the beautiful and elegant Cindy Lawrence who normally has anything but a loud boisterous mouth. Charity’s antics in observation with a policeman played by A.K. Klimpke is a classic steal stealer that is if Ursala’s mouth wasn’t so loud.

Swept off her feet by the oiled charmer, Charity finds herself in Vitorrio’s room. Languishing in love for the hope of love, Charity’s not so subtle playfulness reaches for the stars that is until Ursala barges into the room and Charity finds herself in a closet. It is difficult to keep the eyes off of Brosseau-Beyette’s antics drinking a beer, eating a sandwich, hiding among the coats, smoking a cigarette, as Charity’s flippant personality takes over.

OK, Vitorrio and Ursala make up, but Charity won’t allow herself to be run over. Determined to find a meaning to life, she ends up at the YMCA, where through a temperamental elevator she meets Oscar. Riddled with neurotic far flung fears of insecurity, shyness, and gnawing anxieties constantly biting at his heels, Wayne Kennedy takes Oscar for a hilarious ride. The scene in the frozen-in-its-tracks elevator between Charity and Oscar as performed by Brosseau-Beyette and Kennedy should be classified as a comedic moment in history. Kennedy’s timing and muscle frenzy signifies Oscar isn’t claustrophobic, he just doesn’t like being in tight places, so he says.

Yes, he falls in love with Charity, and Charity falls for this simple not so elegant man. He thinks she works in a bank, and she’s afraid to tell him she is a dance hall hostess. She melts when he calls her sweet Charity, and the audience melts when he sings “Sweet Charity.” Forcing herself to tell him the truth about her job, she can’t look him in the eye, and then she finds out he knows. He followed her a week before, and everything is OK. Everything is OK that is until push comes to shove. They are getting married, she quits her job, and the rough and gruff Herman arranges a party for her. Never mind the cake says Happy Birthday Angelo. Oscar’s fearful anxieties kick in and the thought of her dancing with all those men erodes any logical thinking which Oscar does not posses.

Into the lake she goes for the second time. Oscar feels terrible about the mishap while grubbing the opportunity to run.

Crawling out of the lake, one would think this would be the straw breaking the camel’s optimistic back. Au contraire.

Facing the audience, Charity brightly speaks, “did you ever have one of those days that is perfect? I have. This is definitely not it.” But she has hope and a bank account for the first time in her life and there is always tomorrow. She’s “the bravest individual” she knows.

With all of the “antical” misfortunes, Brosseau-Beyette makes you believe Charity, and that after all could be the greatest gift of all.

The cast plays a variety of different roles flowing in and out of costumes and demeanors smooth as silk. In the midst of several parts, Klimpke plays Daddy, Matt Peters plays Marvin, and Cole Emarine plays Various Hot Guys sizzling in musicality.

Tender, poignant, parenthetically hilarious, the scenic antics roll with perfection. Dated, stylized, naive and simple Sweet Charity carries an underlying message of hope for anyone and everyone living in a box of despair wanting to get out, not knowing how. With the daytime onslaught of psychiatric talk shows, it seems what the world needs now is a strong dose of Charity, Sweet Charity. Boulder’s Dinner Theatre owns it, performing it with heart and soul in a way no one has ever performed it before. That has to be a truth. I cannot imagine it any other way.