Rhythm of Life- Sweet Charity

I just got back from Sweet Charity and one of my least favourite numbers in the show was Rhythm of Life. I shouldn't say least favourite, but the most dissapointing. When listening to the OBC recording I always thought of the song as this observation of how hookers relate to their pimps. I was watching a documentary about hookers and a few of them, when asked why they were in the business, they said that they "Did it for Daddy" or "Because Daddy needs me" I thought that Rhythm of Life was talking about how prostitution is almost a cult, how one gets themselves sucked into this life and cannot get out of it.

Apparently, it's not. Apperently it's a useless song in a church.
Was what I saw the original concept of the song? Or was I getting the right idea from the recording but it was considered too racy in 1966? And if not, do you guys agree with me that if Rhythm of Life was given a purpose, it could intensify the whole show?

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The Tour. It was my first time ever seeing a production. (I don't like to watch movie-musicals until after I've seen the musical live)

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I thought her voice was perfect for Charity, cute and a little squeaky but in an endearing way that was great.

But she can't dance, big dissapointment. She was obviously giving her all though, and I felt like she was really trying. She exceeded my expectations but really Charity needs to be able to dance.

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CATSNYrevival, is there a reason you believe Molly can dance?

Because I was very impressed with what I saw? I saw her potential talent had she been given real choreography.

"Because I was very impressed with what I saw? I saw her potential talent had she been given real choreography."

Oh, sorry if my question was confusing or sounded kind of rude. I have just seen so many negative comments about Molly's dancing that I was suprised to see someone believed she had potential. I guess I'll get to judge for myself on the 28th.

Updated On: 4/5/07 at 01:05 AM

Well, yes. I became a fan of Molly's after seeing the tour. I think she is very funny and that she has a sweet voice that suits the character as it is for this revival though perhaps not the brash powerhouse (yet still confusingly naive) girl she is in the Fosse version. The only down side to Molly's performance was her dancing which I blame on Cilento and not her.

Sweet Charity is adapted from The Nights of Cabiria... and The Rhythm Of Life scene is adapted directly from a scene in the original where Cabiria and her companion visit a holy shrine. The creative team spun it into the "church of the month club" scene for exactly the reasons Margo described.

And I LOVE this number with the original staging and in the film with Sammy Davis Jr. as Daddy.

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Did you just see it in Pittsburgh? I'm hoping to see it this weekend.

Christina's "Charity's Soliloquy" is up now on that unmentionable site. There's 2, so look for the long one with the full scene that leads into it (with Janine LaManna, etc.). This'll give you an idea how Christina's actual voice was 'live' at the theatre, which was great -- unfortunately, her voice doesn't capture well with the intimacy of the mircophone and a small recording booth. Full voice -- she's great. Vocally controlled, she isn't.

Same thing with Gwen Verdon. I know she was a GREAT dancer, but I wish I could say the same for her singing. The only person they cast in the show who I think is a triple threat is definitely Debbie Allen.

- Are you really insinuating Verdon wasn't a triple threat? Have you heard her solo album THE GIRL I LEFT TOWN FOR, obviously not. Her vocals are fabulous on there. She had a great voice, but sadly her voice suffered from a lot of problems, from the feathers to throat infections.

BUT the term triple threat was created FOR Gwen. She is considered the ORIGINAL triple threat.

I'd never thought there would be a day where someone doesn't think Gwen Verdon was a triple threat.

Ps. Debbie Allen wish she had the dancing skills of Verdon.

For some reason, my mother gave a copy of the soundtrack album of the film to my straight brother on his birthday back in the early seventies. (I know, wrong brother.)

I can't say that I fell in love with it, but I really, really fell into like with it.

And "Rhythm of Life" and "I Always Cry At Weddings" were my favorite songs from the show.

A couple of decades later, my brother (from whom I'd grown a bit estranged) and I were driving to a family reunion and we passed by a church that had a wedding party emerging from it as we passed by.

And my straight brother sang exactly what I was thinking: "I walk into the chappel and get happily hysterical..."

And I thought, yes, we are related...

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On the remastered OBCR CD they have interviews with the cast and writers (and oddly Ethel Merman0 at openign night and Neil Simon mentions that Rhtym of Life was written out of town very quickly--there was instead a scene there that apparantly didn't work though I have no idea what it is.

I *love* the number, love the church/hippy parody, love the garage setting. It's insane how many showstoppers there ar ein Charity--that said what I've seen of Cilento's other numbers for the revival (his lame Rich Man's Frug) makes me think he probably turned this number into a not very memorable dance routine when it really needs to be WOW to work--otherwise it does feel forced in. (I would argue that it's as necesary to the show as WSS's Dance at ther Gym--but it's a very different kind of show)

I think it does help if you think of Charity as Felini-esque--Felini's films, best exemplified by the love it or hate it (I love it) Dolce Vita are often episodic scenes centering around one main character that comment, usually in comic but cynical ways, on humanity and society. WOw--I just realized why Felini was such a natural source for Fosse--jeez haha. If you look at Charity as a love story between Charity and Oscar I think it'll fall apart.

Man I *really* *really* wish the tour were a restaging of Fosse's original production--I was watching the Ed Sullivan performances by Gwen in Friends See me now and Brass Band (which is STUNNING on Ed Sullivan)--and I have the RIch Man's Frug and Big Spender memorised from FOSSE of course.

Rhythm of Life is oddly the only big showstopper I wish I could see a clip of (the clips of the BFACT concert on youtube show nearly every number but Rhythm) cuz, while I love how spooky and weird it is in the movie version and the funkier arrangdment
you can't clearly see much of the dancing--


As for Gwen not being able to sing, I think she sounds radiant on the cast album--and every note WAS written for her voice.

I *love* the film and just rewtached it last week although I have to admit for me it doesn't feel liek a good apropriation of the stage work--it's almost liek a different show for me--even though most of the actual choreography in a number like Brass Band are exactly the same, just because it's been opened so much and Fosse was experimenting with film technique it has a different feel than the work does on the cast album and from waht I've seen on stage IMHO.