The 1986 Revival of Sweet Charity...?

I thought Debbie Allen was Charity in '86

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Ann Reinking was Allen's replacement.

Debbie was the original Charity and the tour/Broadway show did great under her. When she left and Ann replaced her, the show took a nose dive at the box office.

Bebe did go on for Allen a few times when Allen had Fame committments.

Michael Rupert was great. Mark Jacoby was great. A well done show.

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Well, I doubt Ann was the reason the show closed.

I wonder how Bebe was as Charity. Ann too, I love me some Ann Reinking.

I saw it twice......Debbie Allen starred and was later replaced by Ann Reinking.............co starring with Debbie Allen were Bebe Neuwirth and Michael Rupert (I know Rupert won the Tony, I think Bebe may have as well).

The show was ultimately boring, dreadful and pretentious. The only exciting, thrilling moment was the HEY BIG SPENDER number. Other than that......SWEET CHARITY is second or third rate Cy Coleman, Neil Simon and Bob Fosse at best.

Jane Krakowski was wise to have "book" arguements, ultimately severing her from the revival.

SWEET CHARITY was a moderate success when it premiered in the late 1960s............but all folks really liked was HEY BIG SPENDER and the allure of Gwen Verdon and her performance of IF MY FRIENDS COULD SEE ME NOW.........

With Man of LaMancha and Mame opening the same season, it is surprising Charity is remembered much at all.

However, I must say that the Bob Fosse staging of the song HEY BIG SPENDER is a thrilling theater moment. If you see the show......you can leave after that number......which is very close to the beginning of the show.

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ljay889, I hope you are right and I hope the new production is wonderful.......but you might want to bring something to read, just in case.

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Debbie Allen made a spastic, over-the-top Charity. But Bebe and Michael Rupert were brilliant. They both won Tonys that year.

I saw it again after Ann took over, I didn't much like her. She was busy trying to perfect that odd Gwen Verdon impersonation she now uses for everything she does.

I have a good story though:

At one performance that Ann did, during the "If My Friends Could See Me Now" number, she went to drink from the glass of champagne, and there was cleaning fluid in it instead of water. She was rushed to the hospital, and her understudy played the rest of the performance.

While it was never proven, the rumor around the Rialto at the time was that it was no accident that the cleaning fluid was left in the glass -- she supposedly wasn't beloved by the crew.

Updated On: 1/29/05 at 02:12 PM

Ann Reinking lovers, check out her performance as Joan of Arc in GOODTIME CHARLERY: Not a great show, but a great performance.

I thoroughly enjoyed that revival and have fond memories of Big Spender, Rich Man's Frug and There's Gotta Be Something Better than This. I thought Allen was very charming and Rupert and Neuwirth being hilarious standouts. A terrific production.

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Updated On: 1/29/05 at 03:45 PM

Bob Fosse's original staging of SWEET CHARITY would have to be one of the most exciting and entertaining pieces of musical comedy EVER!! I am stunned and saddened that WISHIHADATONY found it so tedious. I saw the show nine times and it never failed to thrill me.