'Sweet Charity' set to open at Theatre Hawke's Bay

The cast of the Theatre Hawke's Bay's end of year production of song and dance musical 'Sweet Charity' at the Playhouse Theatre Hastings from November 22 to December 8.

Theatre Hawke's Bay's end of year production is shaping up to be one sweet show.

The 2018 production of Sweet Charity has a quirky storyline, fantastic dance numbers, and features all the big musical hits such as Big Spender, If My Friends Could See Me Now and The Rhythm of Life.

Sweet Charity (full title: Sweet Charity: The Adventures of a Girl Who Wanted to Be Loved) is a 1969 American musical comedy-drama film directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse, written by Neil Simon, and featuring music by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields.

Corinne Bowey, the Sweet Charity choreographer and co-director says, "The cast and crew are looking forward to the opening of the show and for audiences to see the results of all their hard work."

Sweet Charity follows the romantic trials and tribulations of Charity Hope Valentine, "a girl who wanted to be loved". Charity is a taxi dancer, a dance partner-for-hire at a seedy dance hall in New York City. Though the job may be decidedly undesirable, Charity's hopeful romanticism and unfailing optimism lift her out of her circumstances and help her reach for a life beyond.

In the past, she's been strung along and hung out to dry by a series of bad relationships and lousier men. When she meets Oscar, a neurotic, shy actuary seemingly from another world, will she finally find true love at last?

One of the most famous shows by legendary director/choreographer Bob Fosse and with a laugh-a-minute script by Simon, every audience is destined to fall in love with Charity's limitless spirit, as she lives life "hopefully ever after".

Last year's show was the 1930s musical Anything Goes; it was a great success for the Company and the theatre's board wanted to continue the tradition of producing quality musical entertainment.

"Theatre Hawke's Bay is extremely proud of this production. The team have been working around the clock and we are confident it will be another smash hit," President George Astridge said.

Alex Richardson, the show's co-director and leading lady, said while audiences might not know the story of Sweet Charity, everyone will know the iconic songs, Big Spender and Rhythm of Life.

"With a live band and an incredibly talented cast of singers and dancers, you won't want to miss this one," she said.

*Sweet Charity opens at Theatre Hawke's Bay on November 22 and runs until December 8.

*Tickets can be purchased at the Hastings and Havelock i-SITEs or online at www.iTicket.co.nz