Unless you’re a theatre geek like I am you probably have not been following the roller-coaster of the current production of Sweet Charity, scheduled to open on Broadway next week. However, I have. Every day there has been some new news about it, and the story changes almost hourly. It’s a total Broadway cliffhanger, I tell ya!!
So. Here’s the deal:
— The revival Sweet Charity, starring Christina Applegate, has been previewing in other cities, preparing itself for a Broadway run. It has been getting so-so reviews. But they decided to continue on to Broadway regardless of the reviews.
— On March 11, in Chicago, Christina Applegate broke her foot during one of the dance numbers.
— A flurry of New York Times articles followed this event. What will happen? Will they cancel?
— Then, on March 25, came this MASSIVE article in the Times about Charlotte d’Amboise, who was asked to step in to the lead role. She’s a total Broadway pro – who is a star in the theatre world – but who doesn’t have a big enough name to open a show. But since Applegate’s injury happened during an out-of-town run and not rehearsal, they needed someone who could come in, learn the songs, dances, and lines in a matter of 2 days. In short, they needed someone extraordinary. So they called in Charlotte.
— But the big question was: would they open the show with her in New York? Would Applegate be better in time? And if not … then … It amazes me, but Charlotte d’Amboise hasn’t been in the original run of a show in New York. She’s the woman who picks up when the star is done with her contract, d’Amboise is the one who picks up the role and does it for YEARS. She, I might add, is the REAL pro. But to “originate” a role on Broadway – that’s what everyone really strives for. Even her, after having so much success!
— Then – on March 26, the day after that article came out, came the next article: “Sweet Charity canceling its Broadway run“. And after I had spent all that TIME reading about the ups and downs of Charlotte d’Amboise, I felt upset for her. However, I understood the decision. The show was getting lukewarm reviews ANYway with Christina Applegate. Why bring it all the way to Broadway to be a bomb?
— And now, today, comes this article saying: “Sweet Charity is back on!” My response after reading that article is, bluntly, “Christina Applegate is one classy dame”. The producers were afraid of opening with Charlotte d’Amboise (even though she’s a feckin’ VETERAN OF BROADWAY. grrr), and so were going to hold off the opening until Christina’s foot healed. Apparently, Applegate refused to let that happen. She begged and pleaded with them to open as planned, AND to open with Charlotte d’Amboise – and she would pick up the part whenever her foot was better. If you’re not picking up on the fact that this kind of behavior is so rare as to be almost unbelievable, then I have not done my job in telling this story. Most stars would say, “No, I have to open this show!” It’s those who OPEN in the show who get the reviews, those who OPEN in the show who “own” it … Christina Applegate has given that up, she has pretty much demanded that the show must go on with or without her.
Good for her. A classy act.
Now: the show STILL may bomb. And it might bomb even before Applegate’s foot heals (which is highly possible, judging from advance word – so who knows, maybe Christina Applegate is dodging a big ol’ bullet here.)
However it turns out in the end, I still think her behavior has been quite exemplary and professional. Impressive.
I’m surprised they didn’t just let Charlotte open it. They likely had a far from modest insurance policy on Christina, which would have paid out regardless.
Oh well, wouldn’t be the first on again off again show, won’t be the last.
Mr. Lion – Ah yes, the world-weary “been there done that” attitude. Of course many shows will go through this, and this particular story is not a new story. I still think it’s interesting and I think that Applegate’s behavior was cool.
I think they are letting Charlotte open it … although you never know what today’s newspapers will bring!
Explain to us, the great unwashed in the understandings of Broadway, how a hit play can bomb the second time around?
JFH – Because theatre is a living art, dependent on human beings, who are fallible and who make mistakes. Maybe the production itself is misguided – like, they want to totally do it in a new way (and frankly, nobody really wants to see it in a new way – I’m thinking of the recent revival of Oklahoma – I thought that revival completely stunk up the field, it SUCKED – critics blew smoke up the asses of everyone involved, but I thought it was stupid and boring and mis-guided)
Another reason why revivals fail is they mis-cast someone in the lead role, someone who can’t carry off the part. Mis-casting happens a lot, because they need box office names rather than people who are right for the role who might not bring in an audience.
There are a lot of exceptions – I mean, I saw the revival of Cabaret here, with the original cast (Alan Cumming, Natasha Richardson) and frankly, I’ve never seen a more exciting produciton. The movie itself had made such a deep impression on my mind I thought nobody on earth could wipe out the memory of Joel Grey and Liza. Well, Alan Cumming and Natasha Richardson did. It was courageous, thrilling, brave – one of the best things I’ve ever seen on Broadway.
Another good example is the revival of Anything Goes – which I also saw, starring Patti LuPone and many others. What a GREAT production. It was faithful to the original, it didn’t try to make any modern points … it was a rollicking version of the original production with great voices, great dancing – and all was done with such a sense of fun and celebration. I loved it. Somehow that revival hit just the right tone.
Sometimes revivals make the mistake of treating the material TOO preciously. If that makes sense. Like: Ooh, if we mess with this TOO much, no one will like it … so let’s just be veeeeeryyyyyy careful … Who the hell wants to see a careful production? Go to a feckin’ museum if you want to see an un-changing immovable work of art.
Sweet Charity has been burdened by problems from the beginning, so it has an aura around it already – an aura of impending box office failure. You can feel it, weirdly. Some shows just have bad luck. I think Sweet Charity might be one of them.
So it could be snobs that think a former TV show bimbo can’t hold a candle to the performance of Ms. McLaine? (Who I don’t think just did the movie not the play, right?)
Yes, Ms. Maclaine did play and movie.
And while I personally don’t think Applegate is quite right for the part, there have been many surprises in this regard before. I don’t mean to sound Pollyannaish about this. You may think of Natasha Richardson as COMPLETELY inappropriate for Sally Bowles – if all you have in your mind is Liza’s interpretation. Boy, was I wrong. It was a different Sally Bowles, a different interpretation, but one of the most thrilling pieces of stage acting I’ve ever seen in my life.
So a blanket snobbery is not appropriate, I don’t think. You never know when someone will shine.
And ahem. “Former TV show bimbo”? What an absolutely inaccurate and mean-spirited description. First of all, that chick has NEVER been out of a job since her stint on Married with Children. She works hard. She wants to WORK. She has a great reputation, everybody likes her. She is constantly in stuff, and working in stuff which does not show off her abilities, in my opinion. And sometimes it takes real talent to play a “bimbo”. I don’t think Applegate is a bimbo at ALL. She just played one on TV.
Hopefully, you understood that the “former TV show bimbo” was what a play critic snob would think, not me (although it was unfair of me to presume their thoughts)
Well, that’s only partially true. It’s not so much “snobbery” as that there are so many fantastic performers out there who just can’t even get a chance anymore – because TV stars and movie stars want to try their wings on the stage. It was different in the past, when every actor came from the theatre tradition. Now almost nobody does – and that bums me out.
Someone like Charlotte d’Amboise is a complete theatre star – and there’s very little room anymore for someone like that to be a success. It’s a bummer.
Nothing against Applegate – again. I don’t blame her for wanting to come back and do Broadway – if I were in her position, I would want to do that, too!
I thought Sweet Charity was original to film (based on Nights of Cabiria) then later made into a musical for the stage. Am I wrong? Shirley’s done scenes from it in many of her star turns, but I don’t think she ever appeared on the full musical on stage.
I saw Debbie Allen as Charity back in the 80’s in LA – she was delightful in the role.