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Entertainment
Sass sweetens Stage West's 'Charity'
The irrepressible dance hall diva keeps bouncing back despite being dumped by a cadre of cads.
By BARBARA L. FREDRICKSEN
Published March 5, 2005
The Neil Simon/Cy Coleman musical Sweet Charity has often been called a one-woman show, despite a cast of up to three dozen people. Indeed, it takes a strong, triple-threat performer to do an optimum job of Miss Charity Hope Valentine, the dance hall girl who wears her heart on her, um, arm (a tattoo named in honor of her latest crush) and around whose life the show revolves.
Diminutive Toni Berlinger, the Charity in the Sweet Charity at Stage West Community Playhouse now, hits a solid double, with an endearing performance that has a sweet, natural feel to it and good moves that have all the spunk of the real Charity. The snazzy little redhead's weakness is her singing voice, which is on key, but doesn't have that powerful belt that would knock this performance right out of the park.
Even so, Ms. Berlinger has enough oomph to make an evening with Sweet Charity an enjoyable one, thanks to solid support from a good cast, fine direction by Barbara Everest, an impressive dance line that often transcends community theater expectations, quick set changes that keep the action going, and more than 100 good-looking costumes from designer Madeline Child.
If musical director Danielle Flury would pick up the tempo, this show could be one for the books.
Sweet Charity opens as Charity and her married boyfriend Charlie (Bill Dimmitt) are strolling through the park while she rhapsodizes about true love. Charlie suddenly dumps her - literally - into a lake and takes off with her handbag, treating her as mean as the dozens of other ne'r-do-wells and scoundrels that have come and gone through her life.
Never daunted, the forever-upbeat Charity scrambles out of the lake and goes back to the Fan-Dango Ballroom. There, she joins the other 10 lovelies hanging on the dance floor railing and calling out Hey, Big Spender to the fellows dropping by the dance hall hoping to cop a feel during a dance or talk a girl into going home with him for the night.
Fate intervenes, when Charity bumps into movie idol Vittorio (Michael Benson) just as he is having a squabble with his girlfriend Ursula (Jeanine Martin). To make Ursula jealous, Vittorio grabs Charity and storms back into the swanky Pompeii Club, where Charity wishes her gal pals back at the Fan-Dango knew where she was (If They Could See Me Now).
Of course, Vittorio dumps her, too, but the optimistic Charity understands and views the whole incident as "better than a movie."
Obviously, Charity's life pattern is to get picked up, misused, then abandoned, which could be a real downer were it not for her relentlessly cheerful outlook on life. And her adorable friends, namely the sassy Helene (Wahnita Dow), spunky Nickie (Julie Hackler) and beautiful Carmen (Jessica Nichole).
And choreographer Joyce Lang's energetic, well-executed dance numbers.
Most noteable is the splendid Bob Fosse-inspired dance at the Pompeii Club. Watch especially for those signature Fosse hand moves by Jessica Nichole and synchronized, stylized moves of the dancers dressed in black and white.
Near-equal fun comes when still another new beau, Oscar (Doug Doidge) - who may be the true love of her life - takes her to a church under the Manhattan Bridge, where we see a 1960s-inspired hippie dance number, Rhythm of Life, and street preacher Daddy Brubeck (Dimmitt) laying down a sermon to end all sermons.
Stage West's Sweet Charity isn't flawless, but it does have a solid foundation that will likely get better as the show continues.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Sweet Charity, a musical in two acts
WHEN: 1:30 p.m. Shows are at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays through March 20
WHERE: Stage West Community Playhouse, 8390 Forest Oaks Blvd., Spring Hill
COST: Tickets are $16. Box office is open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and hour before each show. Call (352) 683-5113.
[Last modified March 5, 2005, 00:41:15]
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