Last weekend, IUP’s Theater By the Grove and the Music Theater brought Neil Simon’s “Sweet Charity” to life at Fisher Auditorium. “Sweet Charity” tells the story of an eternal optimist named Charity. As a dance hall hostess in 1960s New York City, the titular character attempts to seek out true love at all costs. The book, a typical Neil Simon venture, is accompanied by classic numbers such as “Big Spender,” “If My Friends Could See Me Now” and high school choir favorite “The Rhythm of Life.”
The musical, directed by theater faculty member Rob Gretta, was a sharp contrast to last year’s ambitious Cole Porter show “Anything Goes.” “Sweet Charity” utilized a minimalist approach in both scenery and lighting. The choreography was also toned down, but still full of the Bob Fosse elements that the show originated with. The treatment allowed for the diverse and well-trained student talent to never be overshadowed.
Leading the cast as Charity was Erika Pealstrom (junior, theater).
Pealstrom, who is never a disappointment, conveyed all the optimism and quirkiness of her role while still eliciting compassion from her audience. Supporting Charity through her search for a better life were Nickie and Helene, two hardnosed coworkers. Samantha Fabiani (junior, theater) and Kayleigh Thadani (senior, theater/fashion merchandising) portrayed these parts with a kind of passion and sincerity that was unexpected. These three young women together formed a talented and strong trio of performers with voices that stunned.
Graduate student Jim Nash portrayed Charity’s love interest, Oscar. Meeting while trapped in an elevator, the two form an unlikely pair. Oscar’s neurotic behaviors are regularly foiled by Charity’s energy and hope. Nash showed great skills as both a singer and a character actor. Accompanying the cast was faculty guest artist Joseph Brooks as the movie star Vittorio Vidal. His operatic voice and kind nature were not lost on his audience.
Aside from a few lost jokes pertaining to post World War II Germans living in Venezuela falling flat, “Sweet Charity”’s largest issue was the book itself. The flow from Simon’s words to Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields’ music and lyrics is difficult for even the most trained actors. The ever hopeful Charity is also left right where we first met her: alone and in a pond — hardly the most upbeat turn of events. The company adapted to these difficult challenges and put forth an excellent production regardless. The next Theater By the Grove production will be “The Servant of Two Masters” directed by Rick Kemp, and will go up in April.
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