‘Sweet Charity’ dances across the stage at the FEC
Oct. 25, 2022 — Last Resort Players will present “Sweet Charity” at the Florence Events Center mainstage on Nov. 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19 and 20. Directed by Laura Merz and choreographed by Angela Palmer, the show stars Joanie Schmidt, local favorite, as the lead, Charity Hope Valentine, “a girl who wanted to be loved.”
“There is a story behind the story,” said Director Laura Merz. “Joanie had a brain tumor removed a year ago this spring. The large tumor was quite large and nearly fatal. She now has no hearing in her left ear, after the difficult surgery and still carries bits of the tumor in her brain.”
For Merz, this is similar to the story of Sandy Duncan, who played Peter Pan on Broadway one year after she had a brain tumor removed from behind her left eye. “The role was her biggest life-time achievement,” she said.
In the play, Charity is a taxi dancer, a dance partner-for-hire at a seedy dance hall, “The Fandango Ballroom,” in New York City during the early 1960s. 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.
“Joanie IS Charity Hope Valentine,” Merz said. “This is her show. She began singing, dancing and learning the script in May. I retained a baton-twirling expert to teach her to twirl. She practices everything for the show, every day.”
According to Schmidt, when she started practicing the baton, her physical therapist loved the fact that she can twirl, exercising both sides of the brain, improving hand-eye coordination and getting basic physical exercise.
“In my decades of performance experience, I have never directed an actor with more dedication and commitment than Joanie,” Merz continued. “She learned all her songs, has worked diligently on dancing and has memorized the entire script, earlier than anyone else in the show! She is bound and determined to succeed with this production. And she will.”
During the play, in Charity’s past, she had 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 — played by Peter Tomaszewski — seemingly from another world, will she finally find true love?
One of the most famous shows by legendary director/choreographer Bob Fosse and with a laugh-a-minute script by the incomparable Neil Simon, every audience is destined to fall in love with Charity’s limitless spirit as she lives life “hopefully ever after.”
With music composed by Cy Coleman and lyrics by Dorothy Fields, “Sweet Charity” includes song hits such as “Hey, Big Spender,” “If My Friends Could See Me Now” and “Rhythm of Life.” With a large and talented cast, full orchestra and grand staging, costumes and surprises, LRP once again will bring great entertainment to the big stage.
The cast includes:
Sydney Crapser – Charlie, Mike, Bro
Beth Creamer – Fandango Girl
John Culp – Ensemble/Chorus
Denise Dee – Chorus
Cathy Dupont – Alice/Fandango Girl
Sara Flores – Chorus
Grant Harmond – Cop, Manfred, Ens
Melissa Hartman – Nicki/Fandango Girl
Ricki Kerner – Ensemble/Chorus
Jennifer Marus – Carmen/Fandango Girl
James McKinney – Daddy Brubeck
Gary Miller – Vittorio Vidal
Laura Miller – Ursula/Fandango Girl
David Mills Marven – Ens/Chorus
Marcee Mills-Teeters – Frenchy/Fandango Girl
Angela Palmer – Betsy/Fandango Girl
Nancy Pearson – Fandango Girl
Joanie Schmidt – Charity
Victoria Seitzinger – Suzanne/Fandango Girl
Jacquelyn Serrano – Helene/Fandango Girl
Heidi Sundstrom – Elaine/Fandango Girl
Sheri Susee – Chorus/Ens
Peter Tomaszewski – Oscar
Gary Trevisan – Ensemble/Chorus
Jim Wellington – Herman
Kristi Whittington – Office Girl/Chorus
Josh Woodward – Charlie, Mike, Bro H
The production team includes:
Jared Anderson – Producer, Advertising
Laura Merz – Director, Producer
Chris Lewis – Pit Orchestra Director
Angela Palmer – Choreographer
Judy Kaplan – Assistant Director, Stage Manager
Tracy Teeters – Set Builder
Margaret McDiarmid – Lighting mentor
George Caldwell – Lighting Tech
JonPaul Jones – Sound Tech
David Lauria – Tech mentor
Julie Ellis – Props/stage crew
Dianna Berry – Props/stage crew
Kristi Whittington – Costumer
Lori Janowski – Asst. Costumer
Sabrina Hand – Asst. Costumer
Mary Anne Carter – Hair & Make-up
Beverly Corley – Hair/Make-up, Props
Elizabeth Rose – Ad sales/Sponsors
The orchestra includes:
Rhianna Haines – Pit Keyboard, Rehearsal Accompanist
Ron Green – Trumpet 1, Flugel Horn
Garrett A. Chavez – Trumpet 2
Eric Bigler – Trombone 1
Paul Strike – Trombone 2
Danny Keppol – Accordion/Bari Sax (Reed 5)
Cathy Skora – Reed 1/Flute
Cathy Deitz – Reed 2/Clarinet
Gail Nichols – Reed 3/Oboe
Mary Moore – Reed 4/Clarinet/A Sax
Nancy Kromer – Bass
John Gulla – Guitar
Joey Haines – Percussion
Along with other accompanists and technical crew members.
For further “Sweet Charity” details, visit LRP at www.LastResortPlayers.com.
Tickets are $20 and may be purchased at Florence Events Center, 541-997-1994 or online at www.event
center.org. “Sweet Charity” is proudly sponsored by City Lights Cinemas, www.citylightscinemas.com.