On the dance floor, bodies writhe in a tangle of pulsing limbs. They circle around each other, skipping, jumping, all gleefully smiling and singing with seemingly boundless energy. This is only a rehearsal.
The show is “Sweet Charity,” under the tagline, “Do you wanna have fun?” And looking at the cast during this rehearsal, the answer becomes a loud, resounding yes.
“Sweet Charity” is a musical being performed by Act III Theatre Ensemble, a UCLA student-run theater group. It will be running Saturday and Sunday in Schoenberg Hall.
The show, which was also made into a 1969 film starring Shirley MacLaine, details the relationship escapades of a dancer named Charity Hope Valentine. In accordance with her name, Charity is filled with endless optimism, despite her bad luck with men.
The musical was written by Neil Simon and known primarily for Bob Fosse’s dance routines. Fosse also directed the film version of “Sweet Charity.”
Camden Gonzales, a fourth-year musical theater student, plays the lead role of Charity in Act III’s production and she considers this to be her dream role.
“She is so hopeful and everything she does is with a smile and I just love that,” Gonzales said.
“Sweet Charity” is the second show put on by Act III, having previously produced a sold-out production of “The Wild Party” last year.
In choosing the big production for this year, show producers Hunter Bird, a second-year theater student, and Jenn Fingal, a second-year general theater studies student, were looking specifically for something that was dance-heavy. They wanted to showcase the skills of Act III’s resident choreographer, Christopher Albrecht.
“We chose “˜Sweet Charity’ partly because it’s Chris’ senior year at UCLA. It’s a dance-heavy musical and Chris is a phenomenal choreographer and we really wanted to pick something that showed that off,” Fingal said.
“And we also really have a lot of dynamite performers who we really wanted to show off in a dance way.”
Albrecht, a fourth-year world arts and cultures student, previously choreographed and co-directed “The Wild Party” last year. For “Sweet Charity,” Albrecht was given the task of handling some of the most iconic choreography in American musical theater.
“”˜Sweet Charity’ is one of those shows where most of the time, choreographers will bring in the original choreography since it’s so iconic,” Albrecht said.
Yet instead of mimicking the original routines, Albrecht combined the movements with some modern choreography to produce something that he hoped would appeal more to a contemporary audience. Yet he still wanted to hark back to Fosse.
“If you know what “˜Rich Man’s Frug’ (one of the musical numbers) is supposed to look like, you can totally see (Fosse). He’s in there, but there’s also something modern, new and different. It’s kind of like modern-day funky,” Albrecht said.
“Sweet Charity” doesn’t just highlight Albrecht’s choreography. It also showcases the skills of the people working on it, both on and offstage. The show is entirely student-run and produced, including the costumes, sets, vocal arrangements and 20-piece student orchestra. The project is so immense that it has been dubbed “The Charity Monster” by its cast and crew.
Fingal, who is the artistic manager of Act III, was in charge of securing funding, the venue and other logistical aspects of the show. She has found the experience valuable, especially for her career goal to be a producer in the future.
“I personally would not be producing anything without Act III and it’s been a wonderful experience to learn how to produce and work with all these different people,” Fingal said.
Yet the show is not only a learning experience for theater students. The show has also welcomed non-theater students, such as opera, global studies and even nursing students.
Jackie Jones, a second-year nursing student, was convinced by a friend to audition and now sings and dances in the chorus.
Although she has no plans to pursue musical theater as a career, “Sweet Charity” has been an educational experience for her.
“I learned to be a lot more confident. It’s really good to put yourself out there and to try something new,” Jones said. “I personally have had less training vocally, so I’ve learned a lot.”
“Sweet Charity” has depended on the talents of its cast and crew, both theater and non-theater students, over the past seven weeks to make sure the show comes to fruition.
With its three performances, beginning Saturday at Schoenberg Hall, the current goal is to have an audience that reflects such diversity.
The performance is free to all UCLA students. Non-UCLA students can purchase tickets online.
“I think that “˜Sweet Charity’ is really great way to bring musical theater to the mainstream (at UCLA). Putting a show in Schoenberg makes it really accessible to everybody,” Gonzales said. “We’re excited about it and it’s a good opportunity to do new things.”