Sweet Charity's Pursuit of Love

Sweet Charity pulses with the rhythm of 1960s New York, following Charity Hope Valentine—an eternally optimistic dance hall hostess with terrible taste in men but an unshakable belief in love. This fascinating Broadway classic marks the perfect fusion of Cy Coleman's jazzy melodies, Dorothy Fields' razor-sharp lyrics, and Bob Fosse's revolutionary choreography.

We dive deep into the musical's surprising Italian film origins, exploring how the creative team transformed a gritty Fellini story about a prostitute into a Broadway-friendly tale about a "dancer for hire." This transformation speaks volumes about 1960s American sensibilities while raising fascinating questions about the coded language and subtle implications that audiences of the era would have understood beneath the show's bright exterior.

The podcast unpacks the phenomenon of taxi dancers—women paid ten cents a song to dance with lonely men—and how this profession was already fading by the 1960s. Songs like "Big Spender" take on new meaning when you understand the economic realities these women faced, turning what might seem like a simple seduction number into a complex statement about survival in a changing world.

Beyond the historical context, we celebrate the extraordinary music that has kept Sweet Charity alive in the cultural consciousness despite relatively few full-scale revivals. From the brass-heavy overture to the infectious "Rhythm of Life" with its "doobie-doobie-doo" background vocals (an homage to the popular Swingle Singers), Coleman and Fields created a soundtrack that has far outlasted the show that contained it.

Have you experienced Sweet Charity on stage, or only encountered its iconic songs in isolation? We'd love to hear your thoughts about this fascinating musical that continues to intrigue audiences nearly sixty years after its Broadway premiere. 

End of MLL

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:25

Hello and welcome to Musical Lyrical Lingo. We're your hosts.

Speaker 2 0:29

Tim and LJ. Today and every week we will be discussing musicals, but specifically what they taught us.

Speaker 1 0:36

Yeah, you keep doing that Just because I gave you a compliment once upon a time about your diction and now you're accusing people of saying words incorrectly when in fact it's just their accent and you're kind of picking on them a wee bit Picking on them.

Speaker 2 0:53

Right you see your loyalties are changing here. Remember it's me you're friends with.

Speaker 1 1:01

As I said, I just speak the truth.

Speaker 2 1:05

You speak the truth, justice, you know justice, justice for all.

Speaker 1 1:10

No, no, there's no. I was trying. I was about to sing a song about justice, but then it wasn't a musical theatre song.

Speaker 2 1:15

Oh.

Speaker 1 1:15

I thought I can't do that no. I can't be just coming on this podcast and starting to sing any old song now. What am I, oh, oh my life? A jukebox musical it is. That would be fun.

Speaker 2 1:28

I just was looking at you there, I was like went off Blinded by your beauty.

Speaker 1 1:35

You're not the first person that that's happened to, and you certainly won't be the last LJ. How are you?

Speaker 2 1:43

I am great. How are?

Speaker 1 1:44

you. You are great, but you still don't sound great.

Speaker 2 1:47

I know it's desperate, isn't?

Speaker 1 1:50

it Desperate.

Speaker 2 1:50

I tell you Absolutely desperate. I just, yeah, I wish it would like whatever it is, would just kind of go away. But I'm kind of just getting used to this voice.

Speaker 1 1:59

You're just dealing with it.

Speaker 2 2:00

I'm dealing with it Basically, yep.

Speaker 1 2:02

Very good. Well, some exciting like musical theatre news this week, musical theatre news this week, and you've already oh, okay, is that a new jingle we're going to put in? No, I am not so sure. Not so sure that one will land. Okay, and you've already mentioned it on our socials. So, like we, I think we have special powers.

Speaker 2 2:27

Of course we do.

Speaker 1 2:30

If you want it, yeah, we'll say it. Yep, and it'll happen 100%. Like how many times this has to be? I think we've now moved into double figures with regards to the number of occasions where we have talked about something on the podcast and go wouldn't it be brilliant? Yep. And then all of a sudden, like relatively soon after we've mentioned it, it becomes freish. It comes to freish to freish.

Speaker 2 3:00

Oh, here she goes you're not saying that word, right. You're not saying that right. Well, that's a cheek for me to say that like, but yeah but anyway, we're talking about something rotten.

Speaker 2 3:10

I went straight on live on door socials because that's a cheek for me to say that like. But yeah, but anyway, we're talking about something rotten, something rotten. I went straight on live on our socials because I did a story. I was so excited it popped up and I was like no, what? I was like reading it as I was filming. I was like it's coming.

Speaker 1 3:25

We could tell we watched the video. But you were like talk about hot off the press. You were hot off the press.

Speaker 2 3:32

Yeah, it literally came straight into our inbox because we get special updates. And it came in and I was like what Our listeners need to know?

Speaker 1 3:43

about this. Obviously, it ran for 700 performances in Broadway and was nominated for 10 Tony Awards, but has never come across the water until was it this year or the end of last year?

Speaker 2 3:57

It was August last year.

Speaker 1 3:59

Yeah, august last year they did a staged concert version of it and it won a Best what's On Stage award for Best.

Speaker 1 4:07

like it seems to be a new category they seem to be bringing in best musical concert yeah um, but they announced this week, or or lauren announced this week that a fully staged premiere will come next year. I'm telling you now I'll be booking my tickets. I can't wait. I am dying to see that and, as we said on the pod, we could never understand why it hasn't already crossed the water. Like it is such a British musical. You know about William Shakespeare, Well, involving William Shakespeare, so that's really exciting Something to look forward to. Something else that's really exciting is burlesque.

Speaker 1 4:53

I love that film. We both love that film, didn't we? And when it came out in the cinema, I think we saw it about six or seven times and even at that point we were like this could be a musical, Like why is this not a musical? And anyway, this year they kind of were working on it and they did a small tour. It is going to be getting its West End run playing in the Savoy from the 10th of July to the 6th of September, which ties in with my last musical theatre news for this week, and that's Saturday that Mean Girls is going to play its final performance in the Savoy Theatre on the 8th of June. But don't worry, because it's going to be going out on a UK tour in 2026.

Speaker 2 5:42

Which I think I'll do great on tour.

Speaker 1 5:44

Thousand percent Like. It's perfect for a touring production. Do you know what I mean? And it means more of the mean girls out there will get an opportunity to experience it on stage absolutely, and also Burlesque Instagram.

Speaker 1 6:03

They liked our post, the fact that I shared that, so I was like oh, we are so in in well, if they could get me a wee bowler hat and a wee costume, I'd no problem doing a wee turn on the Savoy stage, burlesque. I could play the Cher character. I think you could. Oh, my goodness, I could play. Maybe they'll do it. You haven't seen the last of me.

Speaker 2 6:29

That's the song she sings in that and you do it so well.

Speaker 1 6:31

I know I haven't done a Cher impression for a long time.

Speaker 2 6:35

For about two weeks Lies.

Speaker 1 6:37

Total and utter lies. You see, she's still coughing and spluttering away like a mad woman. I know, I know, I know, there we go.

Speaker 2 6:44

That was great Theatre News. Thank you so much.

Speaker 1 6:46

You're welcome.

Sweet Charity Background and Origins

Speaker 2 6:51

More. Thank you so much. You're welcome More than welcome. Showbiz Theatre.

Speaker 1 6:52

News. So what are we?

Speaker 2 6:52

going to talk about this week. First of all, as you've already mentioned, you want something. Put it out there. What were you complaining about in our last episode?

Speaker 1 7:02

To be quite honest with you, I couldn't tell you because, oh, I do remember I complained about so many things, I can't remember which one.

Speaker 2 7:09

Which one were you?

Speaker 1 7:10

it was we've kind of been on a French holiday for the last 62 weeks. With regards to the musicals that we've been looking at this season, it seems to have.

Speaker 2 7:23

I've had enough of the baguette you have had enough and I'm ready for a bit of you, you know pasta. Yeah, and limoncello.

Speaker 1 7:33

And oh, don't Listen.

Speaker 2 7:35

Your face.

Speaker 1 7:35

July is far too far away for me to start getting excited about my holiday to Italy. No, basically, I just went. Can we not have another French musical for a while? Can we do like Italy, or something?

Speaker 2 7:49

Is there even an Italian musical? And we have been.

Speaker 1 7:52

And did I quote that? Did I actually say that you said it right at?

Speaker 2 7:55

the end you were like now that Piazza. Is that what you said?

Speaker 1 7:59

Yes, I said like the Piazza, and then you were like, oh I haven't actually listened to that.

Speaker 2 8:09

No, we need to do this this week. We have to do that. We have musicals that we want to talk about, and the next one, which just happens, that we're going to talk about tonight, is sweet charity yes, and we literally just went down the list and then, yeah, wait, that's, that's a wee golden all day, let's do that.

Speaker 1 8:27

And then you send me uh all day.

Speaker 2 8:33

Let's do that. And then you sent me uh, I sent you a voice note. A voice note. Research, um and sweet charity is based on the screenplay of an italian film mental hi, how did that happen? Anyway, I love it, I think we have much we do.

Speaker 1 8:44

We have to have magic powers? Of course we do. It's too much of a coincidence all of these happenings.

Speaker 2 8:52

Yeah, anyway, sweet Charity is a musical we're talking about this week.

Speaker 1 8:56

Yeah, and I'll be honest right from the get-go, I haven't given it the credit that Sweet Charity, I think, deserves.

Speaker 2 9:04

Fair.

Speaker 1 9:05

Because I wasn't in my head. I had that I wasn't a fan of Sweet Charity, the musical yeah, and researching it for this episode and obviously like listening to it again, I'm like why? Why did I? Why would you have had that opinion, but anyway, so yeah, no, no, I would be the same.

Speaker 2 9:27

I was like I have not given it a discredit. I don't know if I fell in love with it through the research, but I definitely had a little bit of better appreciation of it oh yeah, yeah, no, no, I'm not in love, like okay, but I'm just going.

Speaker 1 9:42

No, this is better than your, than I gave it credit for do you know what I mean.

Speaker 1 9:47

So Sweet Charity. Music by Cy Coleman, get it for it. You know what I mean. So sweet charity, uh. Music by sy coleman and lyrics by dorothy fields and book by neil simon. It follows the main character, charity hope, valentine, a dance hall hostess, as she navigates love and life in the 1960s new york. Now, as a kind of like plot. Not much happens, I don't think. But the music is brilliant, like cut off to Psychoman and Dorothy Fields, like really brilliant soundtrack.

Speaker 2 10:19

And let's just pay homage or like praise Dorothy Fields. Dorothy Fields wrote over 400 songs for Broadway. So, annie, get your Gun, the song that we know. Diss Yourself Up, or Pick Yourself Up, diss Yourself.

Speaker 1 10:35

Up and Start All Over Again.

Speaker 2 10:37

And obviously another one that we were familiar with the Way you Looked. Slank, but definitely not appreciated Dorothy Fields.

Speaker 1 10:44

Yeah, no, she was a big big deal. And actually when they were working on this, cy Coleman was really young. So like you, you know a very young Cy Coleman found working with the famous Dorothy Fields really daunting, and he once said he could never come up with his best ideas when she was in the room. So what he would have done would have made an excuse and said I need to go to the toilet, and would have gone to the toilet, took a bit of time in the loo and when he came out he then knew what to do or what to suggest or what direction to go in.

Speaker 1 11:24

He just needed a minute he just needed a minute in the lavatory because Dorothy feels, because she was such a big deal like he, he got the fright, so he just couldn't do his best work and, as a result, um, the partnership became one of the strongest 10 years um that they worked together until feels died. But their first and greatest success together was Sweet Charity, mm-hmm.

Speaker 2 11:52

You know, yeah, I loved it Just discovering more, even about her. Yeah.

Speaker 1 11:57

So tell us about, then, what it's based on this Italian connection that you were mentioning.

Speaker 2 12:03

Yeah, so it's based on a screenplay for a 1957 Italian film sorry, called Knights of am I saying this right? Cabaret.

Speaker 1 12:10

Now why do you think I asked you to explain?

Speaker 2 12:13

But you don't learn in Italian. You haven't started your Jewish language.

Speaker 1 12:16

I haven't started it yet. Honestly, it's doing my head in, though, because yeah.

Speaker 2 12:21

Somebody else.

Speaker 1 12:22

Somebody else has a better streak than me and I'm not happy about it and it's almost like putting me off, just 15 minutes a day. 15 minutes a day, yeah but they've been at it for months now. I would need to do like 12 hours a day to catch up anyway, and so tell us about the Italian film then. So yeah, em the.

Speaker 2 12:44

In the Italian film, the main character is a prostitute em rather than a dancer for hire.

Speaker 1 12:52

Excuse me, I need to cough.

Speaker 2 12:56

But yeah, that's just. It's just based on an Italian film.

Speaker 1 13:00

Yeah, federico Fellini's black and white film, yeah, interesting, interesting choice of source material.

Speaker 2 13:09

Yeah, though this is my thinking, I think they. I suppose it was just the time that this musical was coming out in the 60s. I think they should have just kept her a prostitute.

Speaker 1 13:22

I mean.

Speaker 2 13:24

Maybe it's that 2025's eyes looking at it going. Why did they need to change it to a dancer for her?

Speaker 1 13:32

a dancer?

Speaker 2 13:32

yeah, no, that's the thing like but then we weren't around in those dance halls. We didn't really understand what that was either so I'm presuming a dancer for her.

Speaker 1 13:41

She just paid them to have like a lap dance or something no, no, no, not even that just a dance, yeah, just a dance, yeah, oh, right, okay.

Speaker 2 13:48

So it's when the men went to dance halls and didn't have a partner. So you just pay somebody to do the foxtrot with you.

Speaker 1 13:55

Jeez, it didn't take them much to get kicks back then, did it? All it took was a wee foxtrot here. Take me a wee twirl round the dance floor, I'll drop you 20 quid.

Speaker 2 14:12

Oh my God, I'll drop you 20 quid. Oh my goodness what. Well, that's one of my musical lyrical angles.

Speaker 1 14:17

Do you do the waltz? What about the quick step? Oh, I'm a sucker for the quick step.

Speaker 2 14:27

Don't Anything but the quick step. Oh't Anything but the quick step, oh goodness. Well, there you go, that's my first musical lyrical lingo.

Dance Halls and Dancer-for-Hire Explained

Speaker 1 14:37

Now I know what a dance hall dancer for heart. What would they call it? Dancer for heart?

Speaker 2 14:41

Dancer for heart. I'll go into it more whenever we get onto our musical lyrical lingos, because it was something I learned.

Speaker 2 14:51

But yeah, it premiered in broadway in 1966. It was nominated for nine tony awards. Yeah, one best choreographer who we haven't mentioned. It was directed and choreographed by bob fossy, starred his wife and muse, gwen verdon and west end. It came to west end in 1967. It had a broadway revival in 1986 and 2005. There was a US tour in 2006 and then a West End revival in 2009. So it hasn't done a lot. As in you know, there hasn't been lots of tours or loads of revivals or anything like that.

Speaker 1 15:21

That's it, and I think that's probably kind of is one of the reasons why I kind of thought I wasn't a fan of it because it it hasn't been out there much. Do you know what I mean now saying that the 1986 I was just born um. That broadway production was nominated for four of tony's and starred debbie allen it did like the debbie allen, and then the 2005 revival was nominated for three tony's, so they were all quite critically well-received and it starred Christina Applegate.

Speaker 2 15:57

It did so big, big names.

Speaker 1 16:00

I think you probably need a big, big name.

Speaker 2 16:04

But it never lasts very long yeah. They were all short runs as well. Obviously, there was the most popular that people would know, Sweet Charity from the 1969 film. Yeah, it didn't actually end up starring Gwen. It starred Charlie McLe. Obviously there was the most popular that people would know, sweet Charity from the 1969 film. Yeah, didn't actually end up starring Gwen, it starred Shirley.

Speaker 1 16:20

MacLaine instead. Yeah, it was quite interesting because it did star John McMartin, who was in the original Broadway production, and the film did retain him as Oscar, the character of Oscar. Retain him as Oscar, the character of Oscar. But Gwen Verdon, really strangely, was passed over in favour of a much younger Shirley Valentine McLean McLean sorry, I see him getting it's Charity Valentine, isn't it? Yeah, and a bit strange because Bob Fosse directed and choreographed the film and itographed the film and it was his feature film directorial debut. If anybody out there is really interested in this kind of story of like Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon and Sweet Charity he's going to mention it for the 56th time you have to watch it, like I nearly started it the other night again.

Speaker 2 17:15

I know I did too.

Speaker 1 17:18

Watch. Is it Fosse Verdon? Yeah, yeah, it's on Disney Plus, I think.

Speaker 2 17:22

Yeah, I nearly watched it too, but started Smash instead. Oh I know, fade in on a girl.

Speaker 1 17:30

Yep Opened to Broadway. How exciting I know very exciting, Very exciting. Yeah, I mean that won't have gone down well, will it? I'm trying to remember had they like separated at that point? No, they hadn't.

Speaker 2 17:42

No, but I think in the thing there is tension. Of course there might be.

Speaker 1 17:47

I mean, if I passed you over for Aaron on this podcast. You wouldn't be happy, would you? L Aaron on this podcast. You wouldn't be happy, would you?

Speaker 2 17:54

Livid. Do you know what I mean? Livid? So basically, sweet Charity is a girl who wanted to be loved, and that basically sums up the plot, because, as you've already said, not much happens, yeah.

Speaker 1 18:06

Yeah, she's just a girl that wants to be loved. The storyline's a bit dry.

Speaker 2 18:09

It is a bit dry, but I have loads of musical lyrical lingos about the actual play and musical rather than maybe the lyrics.

Speaker 1 18:20

Okay, what are?

Speaker 2 18:21

your musical lyrical lingos.

Speaker 1 18:23

Mine are lyrically based. So charity, soliloquy. First of all, love that word, soliloquy.

Speaker 2 18:32

Yeah, I love it too.

Speaker 1 18:33

I have a soliloquy most days, Do you Just in my bathroom mirror I perform my soliloquy? Oh I love that.

Speaker 2 18:44

I think that's really important. Is it a motivational one?

Speaker 1 18:47

Always.

Speaker 2 18:48

Oh yeah, Good for you yeah.

Speaker 1 18:51

You should try it sometime.

Speaker 2 18:52

Yeah, no, I do, I do it too, you do it too.

Speaker 1 18:54

Of course you do. Of course you do. She sings. He wanted me to buy some jockey shorts, loved it. So in the soliloquy she's kind of basically given off about her boyfriend or the man.

Speaker 2 19:07

Yeah.

Speaker 1 19:10

And jockey shorts. I was like what are jockey shorts? I just thought they were like shorts that a wee jockey wears.

Speaker 2 19:15

That's what I thought too.

Speaker 1 19:16

So in the US jockey shorts, or jockeys, became often used generic term for men's briefs More recently. The tighty whities Is that why they call it a jockstrap Must be. Maybe there you go and we're taking a turn where we're paying dancers for dancers for pay and jockstraps anyway. So yes, so it was the commonly used slang term for traditional full-cut male briefs yeah, that's how I do.

Speaker 2 19:52

men's underwear and the difference between boxers and jockey shorts. I did look into it more because obviously I'm not a man Jockey, hold on, I can't read my own rhyme. Men's trunks extend to the very top of the thigh, which are perfect for casual, business or dressy occasions, offering a smooth look overall.

Speaker 1 20:15

And this is a musical theatre podcast. Folks, just in case you've tuned in and are going what?

Speaker 2 20:23

but there you go.

Speaker 1 20:24

That's difference between boxers and jockey shorts is the jockey shorts and extend the very top of a man's thigh yes, we are so similar because you just clearly went off on a complete another tangent in your research, didn't you looking up that information? And I also went off on a bit of a tangent, but on a completely different lyric. Okay, so she also then sings. Uh, then he said, miss, would you like a cup of tea or maybe some seven up. And I went what they've just name checked 7up. Okay, so then I went down a 7up okay journey because I wanted to know more.

Speaker 1 21:02

So 7up was first of all, I didn't realize 7up was an American brand. I thought it was British, like I did think it was British. So it was an American brand, introduced in 1928 and was launched two weeks before the Wall Street crash.

Speaker 2 21:18

Whoa Aren't you glad I did that. I'm so glad, yeah.

Speaker 1 21:23

But I was quite like it jarred with me when I listened to it. I went they just name check 7up.

Speaker 2 21:29

What that's interesting.

Speaker 1 21:30

It's not something I expected to hear. Yeah, just to hear especially in that song. Yeah, so there you go. Okay, I didn't realise 7 Up was that old.

Speaker 2 21:38

Okay, you just thought it was like a new drink.

Speaker 1 21:42

Well, not new but like not 1928 like Okay, okay, well, fair.

Speaker 2 21:51

I'm glad you learned something about 7 Up. I also learned in charities. Is it in charities, silvia Lower, the boom?

Speaker 1 21:57

Yes, Lower the boom girl.

Speaker 2 21:59

Yeah, so it means to scold harshly or to punish severely, put a stop to something, yeah, but I was like that is, it seems, quite harsh for what it's saying. Lower the boom.

Speaker 1 22:12

Yeah, but then I suppose it's all in how you say it.

Speaker 2 22:16

Lower the boom, yeah, but then I suppose it's all on how you say it lower the boom girl.

Speaker 1 22:19

Yeah, true, yeah, okay. Um, she sings because it turns out the bum wants me to go to florida. Come on down, she sings. Now. The phrase come on down is actually a reference to eastern airlines commercials from the early 1960s that featured some bathers in Florida. Oh, that's interesting yeah.

Speaker 1 22:41

So each winter in the early 60s the now defunct Eastern Airlines would have many TV commercials that showed some bathers in swimsuits luxuriating by the Miami pool Right. That showed some bathers in swimsuits luxuriating by the Miami pool right. Then come on down. The airline spokesperson would tell and taunt those freezing up north. Now, interestingly and high fitting, that for the night the charity opened in the palace it was one of the coldest days on record.

Speaker 2 23:18

Come on down. That's hilarious. The only thought come on down.

Speaker 1 23:21

Is from like the price is right, you know the people get it. Come on down, good old brucey, come on down that's hilarious.

Speaker 2 23:27

Um the rest of that were all my lyrical ones oh really so you, you finish off, and then I'll talk about the actual.

Speaker 1 23:33

Well, I like the song. There's got to be something better than this when? She's like kind of having a conversation Loads of these like songs or conversations, yeah, either with herself or with her dancing girl mates, yeah, do you know what I mean? So, nikki, they're kind of all singing about. There has to be something better than what we're doing, yeah, than this job.

Speaker 2 23:59

But I hate. Like how are you depressed in my head that what they're wanting is a nine-to-five job?

Speaker 1 24:05

I would you don't like a nine-to-five? I do not like nine-to-five.

Speaker 2 24:10

I'm in a nine-to-five and I don't like it either I'm like oh, I wouldn't be dreaming of a nine to five job, but it just shows you like people obviously have different dreams.

Speaker 1 24:20

I mean, dolly was right about a lot of things, but she wasn't right about that was she no, no. Stumble out of bed. So her friend Nikki sings, and they're talking about what they would do if they weren't doing this. So she sings I'm going to be a receptionist, one of those glass office buildings, lever Brothers. No, no, no, no. Seagrams, yeah, so I. That later merged with Margarine Uni. Who U-N-I-E Unilever? What Unilever? Well done to form Unilever in 1930. That was Aaron. He knows his stuff, he does, doesn't he?

Speaker 1 25:14

The company experienced rapid growth and expansion, becoming the big major player in soap and cleaning products.

Speaker 2 25:24

And still are, aren't they?

Speaker 1 25:25

I have no idea.

Speaker 2 25:26

Yeah, yeah, still are.

Speaker 1 25:29

I clearly don't buy their soap. Whoops, you do, do I? I just don't know it.

Speaker 2 25:33

What's up today, Dee?

Speaker 1 25:34

there. So, whoops, you do. Do you what? What's up do they do? They do dove what they do. Dove do they comfort two of these?

Speaker 2 25:50

are all covered.

Speaker 1 25:52

Are you serious? So they do say it loud so that people at home can hear you, Aaron.

Speaker 2 25:58

According to the internet, dove Magnum.

Speaker 1 26:02

Comfort as in fabric softwares.

Speaker 2 26:04

I use that.

Speaker 1 26:05

Knorr, ben Jerry's Axe. We would call that Lynx. Can't stand Lynx. Hellman's Lux, pot, noodle, sif, damascus, cornetto, Lipton, as in the Ice Teas, surf, vaseline. So many products. Oh, my goodness, you've got Vaseline sitting beside you.

Speaker 1 26:28

I do Yep Now then they're not all soap and cleaning products, so that's the only thing that's concerning me. Well, they've obviously grown. Oh, they've grown. Of course, links back to Links. When you've been in a boys' changing room in high school, you never touch Links. Links Africa is the worst product or gift you could give me, and loads of like being a school teacher.

Speaker 2 26:51

They like to give you the Links. Well, I was going to say it's a very do you like links? Yeah, it's a very 90s voice thing I was trying to get some body spray for our son and obviously went with Aaron and he was like just get him links. I was like no, because Aaron talks like that all the time well, he doesn't talk like me, so I've got to put on a voice.

Speaker 1 27:13

He doesn't talk like me, so I've got to put on a voice Doesn't talk like me.

Speaker 2 27:15

Excuse me.

Speaker 1 27:16

Anyway, no see links. Mix with BO. No, Okay, yeah, exactly C Grams, in case anyone's interested. Although after Unilever, who cares?

Speaker 2 27:26

really.

Speaker 1 27:28

C Grams Company Limited was a Canadian multinational conglomerate. Thank you, conglomerate. Originally a distiller of Canadian whiskey. Oh, it was, in the 1990s, the largest owner of an alcoholic beverages brand in the world. Wow, I am glad I mentioned them because they were a pretty big deal too, and you also learned something else from that.

Speaker 2 27:54

Yeah, lots of learning.

Speaker 1 27:55

Nikki had a good idea for her alternative. Yeah, uh, helen, uh, she said and I'm gonna be a hat check girl sardis east where which made me want to go hat checker. What, yeah, I mean, is it what I think it is? And it was. It was the name given to women whose jobs were to take and return things. People left in a coat cloakroom. Now they went on to mention a few different hats.

Speaker 2 28:23

Oh yes.

Speaker 1 28:24

Now let's see, let's test you, because obviously mother's daughter should know her hats and her costumes right. Derbies what were derbies? Give me another name for derbies oh, I don't know, they're not.

Speaker 2 28:40

They're not flat caps, are they?

Speaker 1 28:42

no, they're bowler hats bowler hats. So derbies were bowler, hats humbergs no describe a humberg. A humberg is a semi-formal hat with a fur felt characterised by a single dent running down the centre of the crown, called a gutter crown. Oh. And a wide silk hat band ribbon oh. And a flat brim shaped in a pencil curl and a ribbon-bound trim at the edge of the brim.

Speaker 2 29:18

Beautiful EP has just shown us images. Love it.

Speaker 1 29:21

I mean, that just looks how I described it.

Speaker 2 29:23

Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 1 29:24

Four hours. That took me to write that description Four hours. You know, I looked at the picture of it really closely. I need to stop making you laugh because you choke. I know, I know, sorry, it really closely. I need to stop making you laugh because you choke. I know, I know, sorry did you not have anything from now for the rhythm of life is the powerful beat.

Speaker 1 29:41

Feel the finger tingling your fingers and a tingle in your feet no no I think I knew all the words well the song and it's probably one of the most well known, apart from big spender. I think that's the thing with sweet charity. There's three really popular songs from well know, apart from Big Spender. I think that's the thing with.

Speaker 2 29:57

Sweet Charity. There's three really popular songs from it yeah. Which, if you don't even know what Sweet Charity is about, you know those songs and you know they're from Sweet Charity.

Speaker 1 30:06

Yes, Well, I didn't know. Rhythm With Life was from Sweet Charity, because the first time I came across it was when it was thrown into a musical concert.

Speaker 2 30:15

That we did together.

Speaker 1 30:16

Yes, but that was the first time I'd ever heard that song Shut up. No, genuinely, genuinely, genuinely. I also didn't realise Big Spender came from Came from town.

Fosse's Choreography and Production History

Speaker 1 30:27

Yeah, oh. So in the rhythm of life. The song encourages embracing life's chaotic energy with a sense of joyful abandon and a willingness to follow one's instincts, even if it means stepping out of social norms. Like it's a pretty awesome song, right? I love that great to put into a musical concert. Yeah, because of you know just the chaotic energy. Now, obviously we know because we did I forgot you did that concert. Um, we had a lot of doobie, doobie, doobie, doobie, doobie, doobie, doobie, doobie, doobie, doobie, doobie, doobie, doobie, doobie, doobie, doobie, doobie, doobie, doobie, doobie, doobie doobie, doobie do are you impressed?

Speaker 1 31:06

I still know my harmony line very impressed, like how many years ago was that concert okay? Now you would just think that's you know, the hippie chorus. Sing that now. The hippie chorus was dorothy field's paying homage to the then popular group called the swingle singers, who took classical music, never sang, but scattered to them, hence the doobie, doobie doos.

Speaker 2 31:38

Isn't that cool.

Speaker 1 31:39

I just thought it was just made up, I just thought it was like filler. Yeah, yeah, yeah, completely that's cool Fields did, however, make a lyrical misstep in the song they sing with the pie-die piper blowing. All the muscatel was flowing. Now she was. She was linking it to the Pied Piper, yeah, but actually in the lyric with the Pied Piper blowing, it comes across suggesting somebody who's drunk being.

Speaker 2 32:16

Pied, oh Pied.

Speaker 1 32:18

But, as they say, it would be unlikely that hippies would have such an old fashioned, outdated adjective to describe someone who's you know they wouldn't call them Paiite.

Speaker 2 32:32

So they believed that that was a misstep, but she was.

Speaker 1 32:35

She was linking it to the.

Speaker 2 32:38

Piper yeah, yeah. Well, that's just what I said, don't criticize Dorothy Fields Don't.

Speaker 1 32:43

That's what I say. Back to your doobie doobie, doobie, doobie, doos.

Speaker 2 32:48

Yeah, that's a great number Like even just to be part of a chorus.

Speaker 1 32:51

So you learnt loads from the show. So I learnt.

Speaker 2 32:54

this is what I learnt, so I learnt what a taxi dancer was. Okay. So, in the early 20th century, men could go to dance halls and pay to dance with women of their choice. It was usually 10 cents a song. However, by the 60s, which is when Sweet Charity is set, they weren't nearly as popular, and it was then suggested and certainly is heavily suggested in Sweet Charity that girls were willing to do more than dance for the right price yeah, because hey, big spender is a sexy song.

Speaker 2 33:31

Like they're not offering a waltz, yeah, or a quick step no, so because men weren't going to dance halls as often, there weren't as many men coming in. They weren't getting their 10 cents, maybe for five songs, so they were maybe saying I'll dance with you for 10 and I'll do something else for 20. Whatever, sweet Charity was originally going to be a one act, with the second act to be an adapted play when Gwen would play wait for it a cat burglar who robbed apartments by wearing suction cups on her hands and feet.

Speaker 1 34:11

Okay, how much champagne had been consumed when that idea was brought up.

Speaker 2 34:17

So you know, early drafts of Sweet Charity had Burt Lewis as the author and Neil Simon joined late, so sheet music had to be printed with Fossey's name as the book writer Under his pen name. Bert Lewis as his real name is Robert Lewis Fossey. Oh there you go. So if you ever get the sheet music, it'll say Bert Lewis rather than Neil Simon.

Speaker 1 34:42

Yeah, I'm just thinking back to the Dawson girls there. Don't you wanna have fun, fun, fun? Yeah, I can show you a boom, boom, good time. They're not talking about the quick step there.

Speaker 2 34:56

No, of course they're not, Of course they're not, and if anybody ever gets round to watching Schmigadoon, season two is the more research I did of Sweet Charity is actually heavily based on Sweet Charity.

Speaker 1 35:10

Oh fair, there's lots and lots.

Speaker 2 35:11

I thought it was Chicago. It's more. It is more of the 60s style music, but there's little Sweet Charity moments in it.

Speaker 1 35:19

Okay, there's nods to it.

Speaker 2 35:20

Yeah.

Speaker 1 35:21

They were a fan of the Fosse. They were a fan of the. Fosse weren't they in that second series well, I suppose you've got Chicago and obviously we have our Fosse expert in the room.

Speaker 2 35:30

I know. Aaron what do you have to say on Fosse I?

Speaker 1 35:34

thought Fosse was known for his unorthodox dancing styles. Honest to goodness, where did he pluck that? Line from you see, the things you do to try and impress a girl, aren't I? I can't get rid of her, can't get rid.

Speaker 2 35:50

And then this interesting fact Gwen Verdon ended up getting a feather boa from a feather from her boa stuck in her throat. Carry on singing, it obviously wrecked it more. She then had to have surgery to get it removed.

Speaker 1 36:09

Shut up.

Speaker 2 36:10

Yep, isn't that mental?

Speaker 1 36:12

Can you imagine that happening? There's got to be something better than Can you just hear.

Speaker 2 36:20

Sometimes Vernon, though, during the run of Sweet Charity, wanted to give herself a wee break, so we just cut out some songs from Act Two.

Speaker 1 36:29

Fair. It's like two show day. You do anything you can to get through the matinee, don't you?

Speaker 2 36:36

Well, somebody did write in and complain.

Speaker 1 36:39

OK.

Speaker 2 36:41

And she ended up working out how much money he spent on the ticket and then refunded him the like $2.

Speaker 1 36:49

Oh, for goodness sake, which.

Speaker 2 36:52

I think is hilarious. Fosse actually ended up dying on the opening night of the 1986 revival outside the theatre.

Speaker 1 36:59

Oh, my goodness.

Speaker 2 37:01

Which is a bit sad. And then Mark Robinson said this about Sweet Charity, and this is all I've learned. So Sweet Charity is a dance piece that conveys the heart and mind of the title character but that is occasionally interrupted by the pesky conventions of musical theatre. Speaking and singing.

Speaker 1 37:19

Yeah, you know it is interesting because most of the most of the things that Fosse was involved in were at the heart of a dance piece, weren't they Like? You've got the rich man's fugue in this, which is just like a dance piece. Do you know what I mean? And I suppose when you think of Chicago like so much of Chicago was about the dance, do you know what I mean? Yeah, it's interesting. Your man, mark, whoever he is, I liked it though the musical theatre creeping in and spoiling things staff innovations.

Speaker 2 37:58

Then what have you got for sweet Charlie? The overture you love a good overture.

Speaker 1 38:04

You love a good overture, I love a good overture, and this is what clenched it for me when I started to research. It's been a long time since I've heard the Sweet Charity. In fact, I don't even know if I've listened to the Sweet Charity overture in its entirety A wow, wow-er.

Final Thoughts and Wig Mishaps

Speaker 1 38:23

Like it starts with that bit I love a bit of brass and it starts with that bit I love a bit of brass and it starts with that big. Then you know the beginning of, and then it goes into like there's got to be something and then into one of the other like rhythm of life. It's just class, yeah, so the overture is my. To be honest, all of the musical songs, like almost every single one of them, is a bit of an earworm for me. Yeah, okay, do you know what I mean? Like, yeah, I was humming Sweet Charlie for days after I listened to it.

Speaker 1 38:55

Oh, okay, that's nice yeah no, and obviously like Rhythm of Life.

Speaker 2 39:00

Yeah, yeah, I would say Rhythm of.

Speaker 1 39:01

Life. The doobie-doos got me.

Speaker 2 39:03

And I do love If my Friends Could See Me Now.

Speaker 1 39:08

If my Friends Could. I love how that comes up.

Speaker 2 39:10

See me now. That little gang of mine. I just I love it and I think it's a great number for a character actor. Yeah, so yeah, that was Sweet Charity and that was kind of fun. We learned a lot.

Speaker 1 39:24

I know, yeah, no, I actually have never. I just let out a belch. I'm so sorry. Shirley MacLaine excites me. What can I say? I've never seen it on stage and I kind of wish I had seen it on stage. Or if it ever does another revival like I, would maybe consider going to see it because it's not one of those ones that you go. Oh sweet, charity is in town.

Speaker 2 39:52

I'll go and see it. Do you know what I?

Speaker 1 39:53

mean, like you would I personally, but always probably go and see something other, that or something before it. But actually, yeah, I just need to give it a go and actually I would like to see it yeah, it might be easier to forgive the plot if you see it and I also think like the character Oscar sounds quite fun, like he's like a nervous wreck. I do remember coming across randomly in one of my long drawn out YouTube like sessions, sessions, dives is that what you call them? Because you're you're a fan of that.

Speaker 1 40:30

That aren't you like hours and hours on youtube um coming across a young timothy chalamet in college playing oscar in the lift scene where he's like claustrophobic and like for even from an early age that boy was going to be a star. He was absolutely hilarious Like I actually think he probably stole the show from.

Speaker 2 40:57

The girl.

Speaker 1 40:57

I keep going Shirley, but it's not Shirley, it's Sweet Charity, charity, yeah, from the girl who played Charity. You'd be raging, wouldn't you? Yeah, okay.

Speaker 2 41:08

What about? What would Paddy do? I've got one for you.

Speaker 1 41:10

Okay, can you read it? Yeah, okay.

Speaker 2 41:13

So I'm not as clever as you. I don't have anything to connect them, but would you rather a wake, fall off mid-dance routine or break character and laugh uncontrollably?

Speaker 1 41:31

Would I rather have a wig fall off or laugh uncontrollably.

Speaker 2 41:35

Break character and laugh uncontrollably.

Speaker 1 41:37

No, it has to be a wig fall off. You can never break character yeah, ever. It's hard sometimes, like there's been many. Have you been close to Coring?

Speaker 2 41:45

no, I don't think I ever have.

Speaker 1 41:48

No, I have on stage definitely during like rehearsals. But no, no, you're too professional, you're too professional yeah, probably um I mean I've had my pants split in stage, so like after you've done that and you've got your derriere out for your Will Parker number. You know Kansas City, where the wind is blowing a breeze down there like a wig. Falling off is nothing. Yeah, pick it up, stick it back on again. Perfect. It actually happened in a performance of Les Mis you did it.

Speaker 1 42:21

The Madaboise wig came off after, like, fontaine scrapped the face off him. But it was quite funny and we kind of said you know, men of that time probably would have worn a wig Of course. Now Kerry obviously. So I leant over and went. I mean, like men of that period, like him probably would have worn a wig. So it's fine, don't worry. And she goes yeah, but probably not with a wig cap on and I went yeah, fair enough, True.

Speaker 1 42:54

But he styled it out and he stuck it back on pretty quickly. Well there, you go. So wigs falling off? That's nothing.

Speaker 2 43:00

Okay, well, that was good, I enjoyed it. We did sort of look at the Italian musical. We'll come back next week.

Speaker 1 43:07

The Light of the Piazza is next week, folks, it's not, it definitely is not, why are? You saying that? Have you listened to it? Is it a bit dull?

Speaker 2 43:15

No, it just doesn't sound like something that would be that interesting. Interesting.

Speaker 1 43:21

And I'll eat my hat the week that we do do. There's got to be something better than this.

Speaker 2 43:28

Well, thank you for listening and for joining us as always, and we will be back in your ears next week.

Speaker 1 43:33

For a good time. Good time, bye.