Sweet Charity

Sweet Charity, based on Federico Fellini’s screenplay for Nights of Cabiria, is a musical directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse, with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, and book by Neil Simon.

The original Broadway production opened on January 29, 1966 at the Palace Theatre, and ran for 608 performances. It starred Gwen Verdon, John McMartin, Helen Gallagher, Thelma Oliver, James Luisi, Arnold Soboloff, and Sharon Ritchie. The production was nominated for 12 Tony Awards, winning only one, for Fosse’s choreography. The show had a London production at the Prince of Wales Theatre in 1967.

The 1969 film version, Sweet Charity, also directed and choreographed by Fosse, starred Shirley MacLaine and McMartin, recreating his original Broadway role. The movie also included Chita Rivera, Paula Kelly, Stubby Kaye, Barbara Bouchet, Ricardo Montalban, Sammy Davis, Jr., Barbara Bouchet, Suzanne Charney, Alan Hewitt, Dante DiPaolo, Bud Vest, Ben Vereen, Lee Roy Reams, and Al Lanti. The movie was notable for costumes by Edith Head and of course its dance sequences (notably The Rich Man’s Frug).