Steadstyle Chicago
	March 2008 Theatre Review by Joe Stead
	Looking for a Ticket Broker? Check out the hottest broadway tickets from Gotickets.com Sweet Charity Critical Evaluation: **** out of **** Summer Smart (Left Center) stars in "Sweet Charity" at Drury Lane Oakbrook.  (Right) Vanessa Panerosa, Summer Smart and Ericka Mac.  Photos by Johnny Knight. To borrow a phrase, all I can say is "Wow" to the new "Sweet Charity".  This is quite simply the most stylish and confident production the venerable Drury Lane Oakbrook has seen in several seasons.  It's brimming over with the talent that makes one fall in love with musical comedy all over again, from the first syncopated blast of Cy Coleman's jazz-infused overture to the bittersweet but hopeful finale.  The production may be credited to Director Jim Corti and Choreographer Mitzi Hamilton, but make no mistake about it.  This "Sweet Charity" has the name Bob Fosse stamped all over it.  Fosse conceived, staged and choreographed the original production in 1966, with his wife and muse Gwen Verdon striking the first famed Charity pose.  Verdon cemented her place in the Broadway lexicon as one of the great triple threat dancer/comedians.  Future Charitys included Juliet Prowse in London, Chita Rivera and Donna McKechnie on tour, Debbie Allen and Ann Reinking in a 1980's revival, and Shirley MacLaine on film.  Broadway's most recent Charity was a miscast and underpowered Christina Applegate, memorably struggling on after an onstage injury left her sidelined during previews.  No such worries about Drury Lane's singing and dancing star.  If the name Summer Smart doesn't immediately register, just wait.  If the response of the opening night crowd was any indication, this is a leading lady we will be seeing and hearing a great deal from.  The statuesque Smart is sexy, funny and vulnerable.  She sings her heart out to thrilling effect, winning the audience's heart completely.  And unlike Applegate and her touring successor Molly Ringwald, Smart's lean body looks like it was born into the Fosse mold of dancers.  The unmistakable cocked hip, kooky strut and sinewy swivel fit her like a glove. Charity Hope Valentine, if you recall, was a dance hall hostess (a pretty white bread code for vice, even by 1960s standards) who runs her heart like a motel, with guys checking in and out all the time.  When we first meet Ms. Valentine in Central Park, she's being dumped into the lake by her latest lug.  Can a girl with a big heart, a slightly disrespectable trade and bad choice in men ever find true love in the Big Apple?  That was the answer playwright Neil Simon, Composer Cy Coleman and Lyricist Dorothy Fields posed four decades back, and the answers are still surprisingly funny, entertaining and endearing. The Drury Lane production, staged to sleek professional perfection by Corti and Hamilton, doesn't pretend to be anything other than a period romantic comedy.  The bold neon and blue-diamond design set by Brian Sidney Bembridge practically screams sixties kitsch, yet the stage is kept relatively clean to focus on what's really important - the dancers.  And Drury Lane's mix of familiar faces and newcomers is as strong and exciting an ensemble as you will see on any stage anywhere.  The prolonged applause that greeted the drolly suggestive "Big Spender" and the scintillating "Rich Man's Frug" said there was something very special in the air.  Corti was a featured performer in Fosse's wonderful "Dancin'" two decades ago, and Hamilton was the real-life inspiration for Val in "A Chorus Line".  To say that Drury Lane Producer Kyle DeSantis has brought in the big guns for this one may be an understatement. They have also surrounded star Smart with an attractive and freshly appealing supporting cast.  Handsome Nicholas Foster displays winning versatility as three succeeding guys in Charity's life.  He's the silent Mr. Dark Shades Charlie that Charity pines for before taking a swim in Central Park, a smooth Latin lover of a matinee idol Vittorio Vidal, and a hilarious bundle of neurosis as the claustrophobic Oscar Lindquist.  The sensational Vanessa Panerosa is a tart standout as Charity's dance hostess pal Nickie, and Ericka Mac joins Smart and Panerosa for the jubilant "There's Gotta Be Something Better".  The show stoppers just keep coming, and if you are a fan of musical comedy at its best, stop reading and call for reservations.  "Charity" will win your heart.      "Sweet Charity" continues through May 18, 2008 at Drury Lane Oakbrook, 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace.  Performances are Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m., Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., Fridays at 8:30 p.m., Saturdays at 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. and 6 p.m.   Show prices range from $24 to $54 (depending on the day of the week); Lunch or Dinner and Theatre packages are available. Inquire at box office or website for details and prices.  For reservations, phone (630) 530-0111 or call TicketMaster at 312-599-1212. You may also visit www.ticketmaster.com or www.drurylaneoakbrook.com.     'Sweet Charity' One Very Special Show Review by Alan Bresloff It is not often that I am at a loss for words when it comes to describing a production at one of our theaters, but the current production at Drury Lane Oakbrook, "Sweet Charity" is one very special show.  A few years ago, we were given a touring, pre-Broadway production where the producers decided that a "star" was needed to carry the show.  But Drury Lane under the direction of Jim Corti proves that the show itself is a "star" and the choreography by Mitzi Hamilton is pure Fosse (the man who conceived, staged and Choreographed the original production back in 1966.  With a book by Neil Simon (some very funny lines), music by Cy Coleman and lyrics by Dorothy Fields, this is a true musical theater classic and the folks at Drury Lane have not only brought it back to grace our area theatergoers, they have exceeded all the expectations that I had.  The "buzz" throughout the theater was real.  The audience didn't want this one to end (there are many shows where the ending doesn't come soon enough). The story is about a young girl, Miss Charity Hope Valentine who works in a "Dance Hall" in New York and always seems to make the wrong choices when it comes to "love".  In the very start of the show, she is dumped (this is a very literal interpretation of what we see) by the man she has been taking care of, who tosses her into the lake and steals her money.  The ladies she works with all tell her that she gives too much and she goes on through some more mishaps in "love".  As the play progresses, she meets an Italian film star and then a CPA who falls in love with her (and she with him) and it appears as though our "Sweet Charity" will leave the life of the Dance Hall Hostess and have her dreams come true.  But alas, unlike most musicals of the 60's, all does not come to be as it appears.  Yet, Charity does decide to face the world and make her own way. This is a choreographer's dream show and Ms. Hamilton is true to her hero, Bob Fosse, using every one of his moves.  And with an ensemble of dancers who sing, this is truly a dream show for those who recall the greatness of Fosse and for those who have only heard of the master, you will have one of the greatest theatrical experiences of your life! Charity is played by the exciting, talented and energetic Summer Smart who is someone to watch on stage.  Based on what I saw tonight, she will be gracing many stages here (and probably New York) in the years to come.  I hope we are fortunate enough to keep her busy right here in Chicago.  She is a star on the rise.  The men in her life are all played by Nicholas Foster who shows his range of talent as the cad, the film star and the CPA.  While these two are the featured actors in this play, the ensemble is what Fosse is all about, and the dancers are sensational!  In Act One, there is a dance number called "The Rich Man's Frug" that gets two encores and thunderous applause.  This number is worth the price of admission and the dancers that have been assembled by Corti and Hamilton are perfect in every step they take. The sets by Brian Sidney Bembridge, lighting by Jesse Klug and costumes by Tatjana Radisic all add to the festivities and the musicians under the leadership of Tom Sivak, superb.  The sound system needs a little improvement, but since Kyle Desantis has taken over and under the leadership of Gary Griffin and William Osetek, we have seen a lot of progress at Drury Lane and I know they are not done yet.  With musicals like this being produced in Oak Brook, Drury Lane is reestablishing itself as one of our "premier" theaters.  For those of you unfamiliar with the music, think of "If My Friend's Could See Me now" and "Big Spender" and two of my favorites "I Love To Cry At Weddings" and "The Rhythm of Life".  Both of these numbers are ensemble pieces but are led by ensemble member Darren Matthias, a scene stealer if I have ever seen one.  The energy of each and every performer in this show is what I really enjoy watching.  They are having as much fun as we are from start to finish. Thank You, Drury Lane.