Fun, laughs, good times …
Willoughby Theatre Company’s magnificent performance of SWEET CHARITY is thoroughly recommended for musical theatre fans.
Vibrant ,charming and colourful it explodes onto the Concourse Theatre stage and is superbly led by leading lady Amy Curtin.
Director Janina Hamerlok has assembled a great cast and there are huge crowds in the big production numbers (eg Rhythm of Life).
This is a terrific revival of the now classic musical, which follows the disastrous love life of Charity Hope Valentine, an ever hopeful . hopelessly romantic, but comically ill- starred dance hall hostess in New York City. Charity , with her two best friends Nickie and Helene, work at the rather sleazy Fandago club . They have accepted that what they are doing is renting out their bodies to any man who will pay but dream of escape. Above all, Charity wants more than anything to be loved.
The musical, with music by Cy Colman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields book by Neil Simon features the much loved show stopping numbers Big Spender, If My Friends Could See Me Now, Rhythm of Life and There’s Gotta Be Something Better Than This for example. The orchestra led by conductor Harrison Collins was in magnificent form .
The set is flexible and fluid , mostly dominated by a set of steps and a raised platform with various slide in/out sections ( eg the park bench, the Coney Island Parachute Jump). There is wonderful lighting by James Wallis and Matthew Lutz : there is a projection screen at the back and colours are predominantly red and purple (squares with hearts at first that can become buildings or windows for example).
The snazzy, snappy choreography by Melissa Ayers is terrific, at times large blocks of movement for large crowds ( eg the scenes at the Pompeii Club), at other times exploding and swarming with life (eg the Hair- like Rhythm of Life) bursting with exuberance. There are plenty of tributes to the original Fosse choreography too (eg in Charity’s solos and some of the big production numbers) in the use of the hands, various steps etc . ( Hints of Chicago at times especially say in Big Spender). And look out for the Andy Warhol allusions in the Rich Man’s Frug dance scenes at the Pompei Club.
Amy Curtin as Charity is glorious. Red haired and leggy she takes to the role as if it was created for her and sets the theatre alight. As Charity, she is sweet, charming, naïve in some respects , an eternal optimist. Curtin sings and dances up a storm throughout and is dazzling from her first entrance. She is tremendous both in her solos ( eg Where Am I Going ? or effervescent in If My Friends Could See Me Now) and exuberantly leading the huge ensemble ( I’m A Brass Band) .
As shy, rather awkward and nerdy yet kind Oscar , handsome Jack Westbury-Driscoll is splendid .As Oscar, he’s not out for himself and after Charity’s money, he, too, just wants someone to love. Is he the one? .The chemistry between Oscar and Charity is believable and Westbury-Driscoll has a great voice too .
Charity’s friends at the Fandango Club, Helene and Nickie were splendidly played by Kathryn Harradine and Taryn-Lea Bright. Their duet in Act 2, Baby Dream Your Dream where they long for escape and an ordinary, all-American life, is vigorously presented, as poignant as it is ironic. They are equally good when leading the ladies in the dynamic but somewhat sleazy Hey Big Spender,
As smouldering, sexy film star Vittorio Vidal and his passionate, volatile girlfriend Ursula March , Matt Hourigan and Dylan Hayley have great fun hogging the limelight in their scenes .
Guy Webster as Daddy Brubeck, glittering in pink, leads the tumultuous, swirling, exotic, somewhat psychedelic Rhythm of Life with great gusto and whiffs of a joint .
This was a gripping, enchanting revival of this much loved musical.
“And so she lived … hopefully … ever after”.
Running time allow 2 hours 50 minutes including an interval
Willoughby Theatre Company’s SWEET CHARITY runs at the Concourse Chatswood 24 May – 2 June 2019
https://theconcourse.com.au/sweet-charity/