SWEET CHARITY
by Cy Coleman, Dorothy Fields, and Neil Simon
Produced by Weathervane Playhouse, June 2009.
Directed by Erika Twining
Sound Design by Tony Tambasco
Cast
Charity Hope Valentine .... Maggie Taylor
Helene .... Darien Crago
Nickie .... Sara Michalski*
Carmen .... Kirsten Paisley*
Rosie .... Erin Wolford
Suzanne .... Katie Beth Jackson
Frenchy .... Sydney Spellacy
Elaine .... Amanda Lynn Fannon
Alice .... B. DeLee Cooper
Herman .... Dennis Kohler
Ursula March .... Samantha Mastrian
Vittorio Vidal .... Morgan McCann
Oscar Lundquist .... Brice Corder
Sister Brubeck .... Lisa Anfield
Brubeck's Assistants .... Andrew Edward Thomas Jr, Jesse
Koza
Female Ensemble .... B. DeLee Cooper, Emily Crawford, Amanda Lynn Fannon,
Katie Beth Jackson, Kirsten Paisley, Sydney Spellacy, Erin Wolford
Male Ensemble .... Owen Beamer, Kevin Doyle, Raymond Havey, Kent
Hiebel, Lee Kirkpatrick, Jesse Koza, Andrew Edward Thomas Jr, Corey
Wills.
* = Dance Captain.
Orchestra
Keys .... Cheridy Keller
Trumpet .... Greg Taylor
Clarinet .... Andrew Lugar
Trumpet .... Kyle Granville
Guitar .... John Sheets
Percussion .... Chris Boisvert
Flute .... Erica Deringer
Sax/Clarinet .... Wes Perry
Trombone .... Steven Angles
Crew
Director/Choreographer .... Erika Twining
Musical Director .... Cheridy Keller
Stage Manager .... Kelsey Rudiger
Sound Designer .... Tony Tambasco
Scenic Designer .... Adam Liston
Costume Designer .... Tory Depew
Lighting Designer .... Jennifer Sansfacon
Properties Manager .... Meghan Chandler
On my first encounter with Sweet Charity, I couldn't help but think of it as "happy Chicago" and so I knew I was on the right track when Erika Twining manifested a world that was specific yet suggested in her stage direction and choreography. Sweet Charity is often criticized for the protagonist ending in the same place she begins, but those critics ignore the journey that Charity makes, and the fact that she is, in the end, able to lift herself back on her feet without having to rely on someone else to save her.
I forgive these critics because Coleman returns Charity to the same motif that she started with, but in the Weathervane Production, Maggie Taylor's Charity owns the music at the end in a way she does not in the beginning. Since s circular journey is essential to the story, my challenge as a sound designer was to help highlight the musical shifts that take place throughout the course of the show, and to ensure that the mix was returned to its starting point as precisely as practical. I especially had fun "Rhythm of Life," "I Love to Cry at Weddings," and of course "Big Spender."
Sweet Charity Sound Plot: My draft of the speaker, microphone, and orchestra placement. Since this was my first show at the Weathervane Playhouse, I wanted to make sure that I had everything worked out on paper before I started putting it in the air, and while summer stock schedules don't always allow for such precision, taking a little extra time to do this paid off not only for this show, but for the rest of the season.
Mic Assignments: We live in a fallen world, and thus not every actor can have their own body mic. I used this chart to figure out who would have a mic when, to describe that to the director, and as the basis for labelling my console.
QLab File: For pre-recorded sound effects in Sweet Charity, I used QLab for playback.