Leggy production of 'Sweet Charity' lacked much spark

Whether it was opening night jitters, lack of rehearsal time to accommodate a busy, 30-member cast or simply the amateur nature of an entirely student-run, tight-budget production put on by an ensemble with varied backgrounds, MUSKET's "Sweet Charity" stumbled through its three-hour duration, lacking vitality and cohesion in both direction and performance. After the anti-climactic and ambiguous finale, one could only sympathize with how difficult it must've been to try to attempt such a production - certainly not an ideal reaction to a large-scale musical which should, at the least, provide some entertainment and have the audience walking away whistling a few tunes.

The show opened with the under-rehearsed orchestra rushing through the prologue, introduced by a joint-smoking attempt for a hippie as a blatant symbol for the time period of the musical. The screen was raised to a minimalist set of bright colored frames reminding one of children's bedroom furniture packages, clashing with the shabby costumes of the cast which were obviously chaotically grabbed from whatever was left in the costume shop. Actors held picket signs spelling out the phrase, "The Story of a Girl Who Wanted to Be Loved," adding only to the awkward silence contrasting the bright glare of light which filled the stage.

For the rest of the long show, the audience had to endure the petty trials of the blonde and cutesy Charity Hope Valentine, a young dance hall hostess, (or "social consultant," as she says), at the dingy Fan-Dango Ballroom. Charity scampers through the streets of 1960's Manhattan in hopes of finding a man who will marry her.

Not too far from the typical musical storyline of the innocent, young, whore-type girl just looking for a break in life to show her true colors, "Sweet Charity" lacked focus in direction to provide any fresh interpretation of an already shallow and age-old plot scripted by Neil Simon. Musical Theatre senior Eric Jackson is obviously just getting used to being in the director's chair, since it was quite hard to grasp any sense of a production concept for the show. A different twist from the "happily ever after" fairy tale of most musicals is readily available in the "hopefully ever after" ending of "Sweet Charity," but Jackson did not seem to have been able to develop a strong enough stance for a new interpretation.

Abby Adair lacked the spunk needed to successfully carry through her performance in the lead of Charity. Her musical numbers were devoid of soul, although she sang with an otherwise smooth and pretty voice. With the difficulty of constantly being centerstage, Adair's acting was also far from top-notch, shifting from an attempted tough New York (or at least East Coast) accent to an insecure Midwestern schoolgirl regionalism. Her seemingly classically-trained dance skills, otherwise quite impressive, did not flow into the jazzy beats of the Cy Coleman score.

Dara Seitzman and Jennifer Guerra portrayed a refreshing duo with some chemistry as Charity's fellow jaded dance hall hostesses Nickie and Helene. Seitzman provided several laughs throughout the show with her well-timed sarcastic remarks and overall capturing stage presence in both her soulful dancing and acting.

The high point came at the end of Act One with the entrance of Gavin Kenny, who portrayed a hilarious Oscar, the neurotic accountant who falls in love with Charity. Kenny provided the most, if not the only, entertainment for the show in his short scenes with excellent acting and a well-controlled voice to carry through sentimental musical numbers such as the title serenade "Sweet Charity." However, Adair's lack of spunk didn't create the chemistry necessary for Charity and Oscar to be a star couple, providing only a few short-lived romantic moments.

Chip Mezo as Vittorio Vidal proved to be the best voice in the cast with a flawless performance of "Too Many Tomorrows," regardless of the awkward baring of skin in a humorous love scene. Many voices stood out, including Andy Sievers as Herman and Steve Best as Daddy Brubeck.

Several musical numbers by the company such as "Big Spender," "Rich Man's Frug" and "Rhythm of Life" were impressive, although the redundant Bob Fosse-inspired choreography and lack of overall cohesion throughout the entire cast left the viewer feeling insatiated throughout what seemed to be a musical with potential for a lot of soul.

Although commendable for its ambitious attempt to put on such a high-scale Broadway hit with the varied talents of a large student cast, MUSKET's production of "Sweet Charity" faltered with many forced performances by actors just showing a lot of leg and wandering through a story lacking any concept. As much as it was difficult to believe in a '60s New York City in the Power Center, it's hard to see just what makes Charity so "sweet" from this production.

11-22-99