Sweet Charity

by Bob Fosse

Sweet Charity had 4 performances about 22 years ago (between the 27th of November 2002 and the 30th of November 2002)

Bob Fosse's story was based on the Academy Award winning film, Le Notti Di Cabiria, by Italian genius Federico Fellini. After seeing the film in 1957, Fosse immediately saw the potential for a Broadway show and nine years later we had Sweet Charity. He began to work on the libretto, eventually asking Neil Simon to expand his original concept of a one-act show. Cy Coleman, with whom he had collaborated on Little Me in 1962, was called in as composer. Coleman in turn contacted Broadway's veteran lyricist Dorothy Fields. Fields had already worked with Fosse and his wife Gwen Verdon (who was to play Charity in the Broadway production) in the 1959 show Redhead for which all three had won Tony Awards. A winning team was created.

Fosse relocated the original Fellini story from Rome to New York. Fearing a negative reception towards Cabiria's underworld occupation, the question of whether Charity is a prostitute is left open; she is now primarily employed as a dance hall hostess at the seedy Fandango Ballroom. These changes, however, did not greatly alter the feel and sentiment of the Fellini film. Besides the hit songs, like 'Big Spender' and 'Rhythm of Life', there is a credible backbone behind Fosse's Sweet Charity that bitterly questions the limitations of the American dream and the ideals of fairy-tale romances.