Sweet Charity as presented by Clara Musical Society

Clara Musical Society 

Sweet Charity 

Tuesday 8th April 2025 

‘Sweet Charity’ tells the tale of Charity Hope Valentine, a dance hall hostess who is optimistic to a fault in her search for a meaningful, loving relationship, away from the seediness of her chosen field. Despite encountering countless setbacks in her pursuit of true love, she is always hopeful that Mr. Right is just around the corner. Clara Musical Society's lively production mined much comedy and plenty of heart from Neil Simon's witty tale of Charity's doomed aspirations. Standout comedic performances and some of musical theatre’s most iconic tunes, ensured that this was a most entertaining production which went down a storm with the Clara GAA Centre’s packed audience. 

Front of house appeared very well organised on the night that I attended and there was plenty of personnel around to look after people as they arrived. We were delighted with the wonderful hospitality, both before the show and at the interval. There was a really strong sense of community in the building and the strong level of local support was evident everywhere. 

Director Alan Recks and his family have been the heartbeat of Clara Musical Society for many, many years. His energetic production had a strong emphasis on the myriad comedic opportunities in the script. Comic business was nicely balanced with more tender moments, adding a nice depth and truth to the performance. Pace was generally very good and I have no doubt that certain things would have tightened up as the week progressed. There were some lovely touches throughout. The trolley car idea was very clever, as commuters bounced along until their nicely timed, sudden stop. There was very clever use of the stage, particularly the upper level, which was used for Oscar and Charity's Coney Island scene. The elevator scene was wonderful and Mr. Recks elicited superb comic performances from both Charity and Oscar. They just needed to be careful of putting too much pressure on the elevator sets. 

Mr. Recks also took on the role of musical director and did a very good job indeed. The ten piece orchestra, featuring Mr. Recks on keyboard, brought Cy Coleman's wonderful score to life under his assured direction. The iconic ‘Big Spender’ and ‘If My Friends Could See Me Now’ were notable highlights. Principal singing was of a very high standard, particularly Charity, Helene, and Nickie. There was very good work from the ensemble also and they sounded particularly strong in the title number. However, I did feel that they needed more support in ‘Rhythm of Life,’ where there was a quite an imbalance in the vocal lines. This iconic number was unfortunately soprano heavy and as a result sounded quite shrill. 

Dylan O'Keeffe took on the role of choreographer. ‘Sweet Charity’ has so many iconic dance sequences such as ‘Big Spender,’ ‘Rich Man's Frug’ and Rhythm of Life’ and Mr. O'Keeffe did a very good job in creating some dynamic, energetic, and synchronised routines. ‘Rich Man's Frug’ had some very precise, stylised movement and featured an excellent lead dancer. ‘Big Spender,’ as expected, was an excellent number. The dance hall girls really sold this so well, exuding confidence, sensuality, and lack of inhibition. It was brilliantly performed. When the ensemble ladies joined, the number felt a little bit crowded. However, movement was excellent from all. I’m not sure if I really understood the purpose of the white glove/UV light routine in ‘I Love to Cry at Weddings.’ Whilst the idea was interesting, I'm not altogether sure that the desired outcome was achieved on the night that I attended. For the visual aspect to succeed, I felt that there needed to be more coordination between lighting and performers for this to work. ‘Rhythm of Life’ was an energetic number from all and there was excellent work from everyone in the superbly staged ‘I’m a Brass Band.’ 

Aoife Digan was captivating as the titular character, with boundless optimism and plenty of heart. Ms. Digan was the perfect blend of vulnerability and humour, making her a most endearing character. She was also blessed with razor sharp comic timing. She had so many standout comic moments and scenes but, for me, the highlights included her hiding in Vittorio’s closet and the iconic elevator sequence. Both showed Ms. Digan's comedic skill at its very best. She delivered a wonderful vocal performance which was both technically impressive and layered in its understanding and thoughtfulness. A superb characterisation overall. 

Oscar Lindquist, the neurotic hypochondriac with debilitating claustrophobia was played with delightful awkwardness by Joe Steiner. Mr. Steiner was such a natural, honest, and believable performer. None of his character quirks were ever forced and he brought an emotional depth to Oscar that's rarely seen. He too was blessed with excellent comic timing. I loved ‘Bravest Individual’ with Miss Digan, which showcased a fine baritone and serious comic chops. But it wasn't all about the comedy with Mr. Steiner. There was a sincerity and poignancy in his heartfelt interactions with Charity, particularly in the final scene, which was simply outstanding. 

Helene was played by the very talented Cherise O’Moore. Ms. O’Moore not only had a very impressive wolf whistle but her stage presence right through the show was exceptional. She was a very natural actress and dialogue delivery felt so real. Ms. O’Moore had a fabulous voice and ‘Baby Dream Your Dream’ with Nickie was one of the show's highlights for me as both painted a more vulnerable side to Charity's streetwise pals. 

Sinéad Handy was equally impressive as Ms. O’Moore's sidekick, Nickie and, together, they were a formidable double act. Ms. Handy’s skilfully delivered wisecracks showed natural comic timing that can’t be taught. She too was very strong vocally and her performance in ‘There's Gotta be Something Better Than This’ with Charity and Helene was wonderful. 

Thiago Braga was very charming as Italian movie star Vittorio Vadal. Mr. Braga was a very good actor but at times I wanted him to have a little bit more energy about him and to attack his dialogue a bit more. What a fine, full baritone voice he had in ‘Too Many Tomorrows.’ His bedroom scene with Ursula was very funny. 

Aoife Fitzsimons gave a very funny performance as Ursula. Her hilarious antics with Vittorio under the duvet brought much laughter as she built to her ‘climactic moment.’ I couldn’t help thinking that Ursula was as strong an actress as Ms. Fitzsimons though, because Vittorio can't have been too impressive in that department as Ms. Fitzsimons was out of the bed like a shot, running off before the blackout. 

Jonathon Kilduff was a standout performer as Daddy Brubeck, bringing much energy and presence in a super performance of at the top of Act One. His vocal in ‘Rhythm of Life’ was excellent and he really understood the gig, giving it loads and enjoying every minute of his wonderful cameo. 

Malcolm Whelan gave an exceptionally strong performance as Herman, the proprietor of the seedy Fandango Ballroom. His dialogue delivery was very natural and diction was very strong. His ‘I Love to Cry at Weddings’ was brilliantly performed. How refreshing it was to have somebody so strong in a role like this. An excellent portrayal by Mr. Whelan. 

The large ensemble was very impressive all round, bringing a strong energy and enthusiasm to numbers such as ‘Big Spender’ and ‘Rhythm of Life.’ The Fandango girls were excellent in their numbers, demonstrating excellent focus and commitment in numbers such as ‘Big Spender.’ There was great work from all in ‘I’m a Brass Band’ and very good focus in ‘A Good Impression.’ I felt that the opening scene was a little bit chaotic for the ensemble and could have benefited from better spacing on the stage. But this is a small point in what was generally a very strong contribution from the ensemble. 

Wayne Handy did a great job as stage manager marshalling a very efficient crew who kept the show moving at an electric pace throughout. He cleverly used cast to move furniture and smaller set pieces and this very well-rehearsed element added greatly to what were impressive and seamless transitions. There was very slick movement of trucks, in particular the elevator and the diner trucks. Mr. Handy even made an appearance as a most convincing, named character, Dirty Old Man. A great job all around. 

I loved the simplicity of the visually impressive set, which allowed for a large, open playing space which perfectly suited the style of production. The band was housed on the upper level, perched high above the stage. Underneath, we had four open ‘doorway’ entrances, lit from within, which provided some great staging opportunities. The red curtain, used as a backdrop for the orchestra, was an inspired choice, bringing a great sense of style to the overall visual. There were great graphics projected onto a small screen on stage right, which worked very well to suggest location and some key moments in the narrative. The footlight shells across the front of the stage were most effective. The diner booths were very authentic. 

The lighting was generally strong throughout, adding much atmosphere to scenes like the seedy Fandango Ballroom. ‘Rhythm of Life’ a psychedelic celebration, made very good use of colour. The four upstage entrances were nicely lit from behind and the uplighters worked well, positioned between these entrances. There did appear to be a technical glitch with cues early in Act Two but the operator was very quick to offset the issues manually and much credit should be given for that. Overall, good work from the lighting department and I'm sure that any minor issues that were experienced on the night were ironed out as the week progressed. 

Sound design and operation were in very safe hands. EQ levels were perfect. Every word of dialogue could be heard and vocals were crystal clear in what can be a very difficult show in terms of balance between stage and pit due to the considerable dynamics of the brassier numbers. Sound effects were all very appropriate and very well timed. A super job all round. 

Nothing appeared out of place in the props department, with the exception of the chairs in the Fandango Ballroom which, to me, looked far too modern and resembled something from a Swedish furniture outlet. Chairs aside, props appeared very well chosen with everything appearing to be era appropriate. I particularly liked the giant teddy prop for Coney Island. 

Costumes were excellent across the board. The show was very colourful, particularly in scenes like ‘Rhythm of Life.’ I loved the cheerleaders’ red sequin dresses, the drummer's red jackets, black bowlers, Daddy Brubeck's flares and his fabulous jacket and Charity's iconic 

leopard print dress. The black dresses in ‘Rich Man's Frug’ brought a real touch of elegance and class. Overall, a wonderful job reflecting 1960s, New York society. 

There was good attention to detail and the hair and makeup department also, creating a very authentic 1960s look. Hairstyles and wigs were excellent in recreating the iconic looks of the era and makeup was also perfectly appropriate. A super job from all involved in bringing a further layer of authenticity which supported Mr. Recks’ vision. 

This was a most entertaining production of one of musical theatre’s classic shows by Clara Musical Society, with great energy and some standout comedy moments from a very talented cast. From the audience reaction, it was clear that there is still a great appetite and love for such classics amongst young and old. ‘Sweet Charity’ will be sixty years old next year and its entertainment value shows no sign of abating. Bravo Clara MS for breathing new life into a show which will, no doubt, continue to entertain for generations to come. 

Pat McElwain 

Gilbert Adjudicator 2024/2025

Photo credit Recks Audio.