Search - Cy Coleman, Debbie Allen Brass Band, Sweet Charity Pit Orchestra :: Sweet Charity [1986 Broadway Cast]

Debbie Allen as Sweet Charity...

Byron Kolln | the corner where Broadway meets Hollywood | 09/22/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The 1986 Broadway revival of SWEET CHARITY was designed to be a virtual carbon-copy of the original 1966 staging. Bob Fosse again took the director/choreographer responsibilities and the original Charity, Gwen Verdon, was also on hand as an advisor. In what was billed as the "20th Anniversary Production", Debbie Allen headlined the revival playing lovelorn taxi-dancer Charity Hope Valentine, earning herself a Tony nomination. Perhaps more notable was the casting of Bebe Neuwirth as Nickie (Neuwirth would go on to further distinction in two more Fosse revivals, "Damn Yankees" and "Chicago"). Michael Rupert ("The Happy Time") plays Charity's neurotic love interest Oscar Lindquist.



The original orchestrations were, more or less, reused for this revival, with the exception of "Where Am I Going?" (transformed into a breathtaking synthesiser-driven ballad for Allen to get her teeth into).



This much-acclaimed production ran for 369 performances at the Minskoff Theatre, with Ann Reinking and Bebe Neuwirth later following Allen in the title role.



There are quite a few recordings available for this score (the 1966 original cast with Verdon, the 1969 film soundtrack with Shirley MacLaine, a studio cast recording with Jacqueline Dankworth, and the 2005 revival with Christina Applegate), but this particular rendition boasts one of the most vocally-proficient Charity's in Debbie Allen, who gives an amazing performance. Thank you DRG for returning this lovely cast album to the catalogue."