Sweet Charity. So Bad....

[Glebb]

Posted: 3/4/05 at 10:49pm

I left at intermission.
I could barely get through Act I.
Sets were lavish but why not revive the show with the Fosse choreography and a star worthy of the role?
The singing and dancing were disgraceful. Except that the sets were expensive it reminded me of a Jones Beach Dinner Theatre production from back in the 80s.
Trying hard to think of something good to say.
Uh, Christina Applegate has gorgeous shoulders.

[InfiniteTheaterFrenzy]

Posted: 3/4/05 at 10:52pm

Aww. How was Denis? The supporting and chorus roles were all bad?

[Mary_Ethel]

Posted: 3/4/05 at 10:57pm

WOW!!!

Definitely not what they used to call a "money" review!


Tell me, Glebb, was the orangeade they served at Intermission any good?

[Glebb]

Posted: 3/4/05 at 11:03pm

Loved Denis in TAKE ME OUT but he did not seem to have much to work with here.

Dancers were good but why was the choreography sort of Fosse at the Pompeii Club? "There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This" which is usually exhilarating was pitiful.

Water and candy were for sale at intermission but I was outta there.

I made it through Victor/Victoria and Little Women but this was unbearable.

Updated On: 3/4/05 at 11:03 PM

[commasplice]

Posted: 3/4/05 at 11:06pm

I'm seeing this tomorrow, and now you've worried me...

[Glebb]

Posted: 3/4/05 at 11:07pm

I'm sorry.
If you've never seen a production of Sweet Charity before, you'll probably like it.

[timote316]

Posted: 3/4/05 at 11:22pm

Ok, then its a good thing I've never seen SC before...

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 3/4/05 at 11:32pm

I still can't wait to see this tomorrow.

[commasplice]

Posted: 3/4/05 at 11:33pm

I haven't seen a production before, so you're probably right. It should be interesting, at least.

[Mary_Ethel]

Posted: 3/4/05 at 11:35pm

I saw Debbie Allen in '86. I thought she was excellent, but that production had a sort of cheesy feel about it as well. However, that production DID use the Fosse choreography.

[commasplice]

Posted: 3/4/05 at 11:38pm

I'm disappointed that they replaced Fosse's coreography. I really would have liked to see it onstage (and I'm kind of iffy about Wayne Cliento).

[Glebb]

Posted: 3/5/05 at 12:43am

I saw Debbie A. and Ann R. in 86. Bebe N. was good in that production too. The 86 production was cheap looking. I recall Debbie wearing a capezio wrap sweater and skirt for "I'm A Brass Band."
Production values were cheap back then but talent was abundant.
This time the production values are lavish and the talent quotient is much lower.

[Jwei123]

Posted: 3/5/05 at 12:46am

I love Annie R.

and I really wanna see this revival, to see what christina is all about. I mean she is SERIOUSLY being thrown into a pool of incredible people who have played the role (ann, gwen, debbie, bebe, etc)

[Sumofallthings]

Posted: 3/5/05 at 1:09am

Wayne Cilento isn't nearly as talented nor creative as the majority of the shows he choreographs demand.

Updated On: 3/5/05 at 01:09 AM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/5/05 at 1:15am

You mean that he can't do -- he can't do that?

[Marquise]

Posted: 3/5/05 at 1:50am

Wow Glebb, That bad huh?
Sorry to here that this production isn't up to any standards.
I was skeptical about this production from the outset. Not so much because of Christina Applegate more because they chose to re-do the choreography. Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields may have written the score and Neil Simon the book but when it comes down to it "Sweet Charity" is and always will be a Bob Fosse show.

The decision to re-do the choreography is just insane on the Weissler's part. If it ain't broke don't fix it. I mean we're talking FOSSE here.

Would anyone even stand for any of this if it had been A Chorus Line.

Talk about sacreligious.

And no matter what anyone has to say about it I will stick to my DVD of the 1968 movie version. Yes, it may have it's faults but at least it was directed and guided by Fosse and Verdon and it's the next best thing to the original.

[magruder]

Posted: 3/5/05 at 2:31am

Gotta disagree with the statements here that the '86 revival was "cheesy" or "cheap-looking". The production featured Robert Randolph's original set and lighting designs, although Patricia Zipprodt designed new costumes (and won a Tony for them). And if you are judging your memories of what it sounded like by the '86 recording - don't. Cy Coleman went it and futzed around with the orchestrations for the recording, although the production in the theatre still featured most of Ralph Burns's original charts.

[Marquise]

Posted: 3/5/05 at 2:35am

magruder i also saw the '86 revival and i loved it as well. the cast i saw featured debbie allen, michael rupert, bebe neuwirth, michelle williams, carol alt and irving allen lee. it didn't look cheesy or cheap to me at all.

i also have the cd to this production and it is very heavily synthesized. the score sounding nothing like it actually did in the theatre.

[magruder]

Posted: 3/5/05 at 2:50am

I was shocked when I heard the LP. Plus, the recording was an early all digital affair, and it sounds it. Everything is dry, and in your face, with no theatricality. You know you are in trouble when you can hear the trumpet player fall off and give up on playing the screamed version of "Big Spender" that closes the Overture. (Can't believe they never went back and stripped it in).

Updated On: 3/5/05 at 02:50 AM

[Glebb]

Posted: 3/5/05 at 8:39am

I love the movie and enjoyed the 86 production enough to see it with both Debbie and Ann. I wouldn't say it was cheesy. But it was not expensive looking like this new production. I did not think the costume for Brass Band was very good. It looked like a capezio sweater and skirt with zodiac boots.

I saw the original NINE and adored the rvival. I like Cilento. How 2 Succeed and Wicked have fine choreography as does this version of SC. I just don't understand why it was not completely revamped. Why did the choreography borrow some of Fosse? I also can't abide by Charity being performed by a mediocre dancer.

[magruder]

Posted: 3/5/05 at 8:57am

If I remember correctly, Debbie Allen was in a black dress and bright red boots for "Brass Band".

[Glebb]

Posted: 3/5/05 at 8:59am

And if I remember correctly with a wrap around sweater like the kind ballet girls bought from Capezio.
But I'm probably wrong. I think my point is that it did not look lavish as this production does.

Updated On: 3/5/05 at 08:59 AM

[magruder]

Posted: 3/5/05 at 9:06am

But those Robert Randolph designs were considered the height of theatrical innovation in 1966. I was glad to see them.

[Glebb]

Posted: 3/5/05 at 9:07am

Cool.

[magruder]

Posted: 3/5/05 at 9:08am

Second picture on the left. Better than you remember?