Full casting has been set for the upcoming national tour of Sweet Charity, starring Molly Ringwald as vulnerable taxi dancer Charity Hope Valentine. The tour will launch on September 12th at San Diego's Civic Theatre.
Directed by Scott Faris and choreographed by Tony-winner Wayne Cilento (Wicked), the tour will also feature Guy Adkins (
The Cherry Orchard at Steppenwolf
, Floyd Collins at the Old Globe) as Oscar,
Amanda Watkins (
Urinetown, Cabaret, Grease) as Nickie,
Kisha Howard (
Sweet Charity on Broadway,
Wicked, Aida) as Helene,
Aaron Ramey (
Thoroughly Modern Millie) as Vittorio Vidal,
Richard Ruiz as Herman, and David Glaspie as Big Daddy, with Nova
Bergeron,
Ben Cameron, Colin Cunliffe, Merritt Tyler Hawkins, Sae La
Chin, Kathyn Mowatt Murphy, Rhea Patterson, Adam Perry, Keven Quillon,
Angel Reda,
LaQuet Sharnell, and Tonya Wathen comprising the ensemble.
The tour is based on the recent hit revival, which was directed by Walter Bobbie and choreographed by Cilento. The revival of Sweet Charity, which
ran for 25 previews and 279 regular performances at the Al Hirschfeld
Theatre, received 3 2005 Tony Award nominations including Best
Choreography, Best Revival of a Musical and Best Actress in a Musical
(Christina Applegate).
With
a book by Neil Simon based on an original screenplay by Federico Fellini,
Tullio Pinelli and Ennio Plaiano, "Sweet Charity is a funny, poignant
and tender look at the misadventures of Charity Hope Valentine, a
dance hall hostess who always gives her heart and earnings to the wrong
man," according to press notes. The show's score by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields includes the
show-stopping "If My Friends Could See Me Now," "Big Spender" and "I'm A
Brass Band," among others. The original 1966 production, which ran for 608 performances, starred Gwen Verdon and was directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse (who won a Tony Award for his dances).Ringwald's big screen success
began with the romantic comedy Pretty in Pink followed by The Breakfast
Club, Sixteen Candles, The Pick Up Artist and Betsy's Wedding. She received critical acclaim for her portrayal of real
life AIDS victim, Allison Gertz in TV's "Something to Live For: The Allison
Gertz Story." Recently, she has turned her talent to the New York stage,
appearing as Sally Bowles in Cabaret as well as in tick, tick...Boom!,
Modern Orthodox and Enchanted April.
