The Reinhardt Theatre department opens the musical “Sweet Charity” on Sept. 23 in the University Theater. “Sweet Charity” is set in the 1960s and tells the story of Charity Hope Valentine and the misadventures of her love life as she works as a dance hall hostess in New York City.
“We try to perform at least one classical musical each season,” says Morgan Brooks, technical and operations manager of the Reinhardt Theatre and director for “Sweet Charity,” “and for this year we chose ‘Sweet Charity.’ This show is a good fit for our talent pool this year. We feature the many strong women in our program with this production.”
The cast is led by senior Anna Snider as Charity, senior Jalyn Bentley as Helene, senior Gabrielle Myers as Nickie, sophomore Casey Thomas as Oscar, and sophomore Charlie Rice as Vittorio. “The cast is so talented,” says Bentley. Myers adds that there are “many new faces in the show that absolutely need to be seen!”
“Sweet Charity” was written by Neil Simon with a score by Cy Coleman and lyrics by Dorothy Fields. The original Broadway production was directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse. As a nod to Fosse, Brooks says, “Jamie Trial, our dance instructor and choreographer, has created difficult pieces for the students inspired by Fosse’s original choreography. The students are really taking to it and having a lot of fun.” Bentley says perfecting the Fosse style of dance has been both challenging and rewarding.
Rice describes the show as “charming and funny,” and Thomas says he believes the show “offers something for everyone. The cast and crew worked diligently to create a great show. The music, the choreography, and the acting are all fantastic. Audiences will enjoy it!”
“Sweet Charity” runs Sept. 23 – 25 and Sept. 30 – Oct. 2 at the University Theater. Friday and Saturday shows start at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday shows start at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are $12.50 per person and can be purchased online or by contacting the box office at 770-720-9167 or boxoffice@reinhardt.edu.
