Sweet Charity is a Broadway musical which opened in 1966, with book by Neil Simon, songs by Dorothy Fields and Cy Coleman, and direction and choreography by Bob Fosse (and in turn loosely adapted from a Federico Fellini film). The story focuses on the title character's romantic travails and attempts to escape her job as a taxi dancer, dancing with whoever pays for her company. The show's breakout song, "Big Spender," has the dance hall ladies attempting to entice the male customers into selecting them for their dance.
The musical was filmed in 1969 (with Sammy Davis Jr. in the one-sequence role of Big Daddy Brubeck) and revived twice on Broadway.
References
- As part of the Broadway salute in the special Julie on Sesame Street, a marquee for Sweet Charity appears, seguing into "Big Spender." This version lacks the show's dance hall context but has Julie Andrews singing it to hungry table customer Cookie Monster.
Connections
- Debbie Allen played Charity in the 1986 revival
- Christina Applegate played Charity in the 2005 revival
- Ralph Burns orchestrated the music on Broadway
- Ruth Buzzi played a receptionist, woman with hat, and the Good Fairy on Broadway (1966)
- Jonathan Dinklage played violin in the 2005 revival
- Glenn Drewes played trumpet in the 2005 revival
- Donna McKechnie played Charity in the 1987 national tour
- Bebe Neuwirth played Nickie and was Charity's standby in the 1986 revival
- Chita Rivera played Charity in the national tour (1967) and Nickie in the 1969 film
- Don Sebesky provided new orchestration for the 2005 revival
- Ben Vereen played Daddy Johann Sebastian Brubeck and others in the national tour (1967) and a frug dancer and one of Daddy's acolytes in the 1969 film (1969)
- Lorene Yarnell danced in the 1969 film