Theater News

Full Cast Set for National Tour of Sweet Charity With Molly Ringwald

Molly Ringwald
(© Andrew Eccles)
Molly Ringwald
(© Andrew Eccles)

Full casting for the national tour of Sweet Charity, set to begin at the San Diego Civic Theater on September 12, has been announced. The tour, which will star Molly Ringwald as dance hall hostess Charity Hope Valentine, will be directed by Scott Faris and will feature choreography by Wayne Cilento.

The show will also star Guy Adkins (Oscar), Amanda Watkins (Nickie), Kisha Howard (Helene), Aaron Ramey (Vittoria Vidal), Richard Ruiz (Herman), and David Glaspie (Daddy Johann Sebastian Brubeck). The ensemble will feature Nova Bergeron, Ben Cameron, Colin Cunliffe, Merritt Tyler Hawkins, Sae La Chin, Kathyn Mowatt Murphy, Rhea Patterson, Adam Perry, Keven Quillon, Angel Reda, Laquet Sharnell, and Tonya Wathen.

Ringwald has appeared on Broadway in Cabaret and Enchanted April, and Off-Broadway in such plays as Modern Orthodox and Lily Dale, for which she earned a Theatre World Award. Her many film credits include The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, and Betsy’s Wedding.

Sweet Charity has a score by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields, and a book by Neil Simon. The show debuted on Broadway in January 1966, starring Gwen Verdon, and ran for more than 600 performances. That production received eight Tony Award nominations, with Bob Fosse winning for his choreography. A 1986 revival ran for more than 350 performances and won four Tony Awards, including Best Reproduction of a Play or Musical; a 2005 revival, starring Christina Applegate, ran for more than 275 performances and earned three Tony nominations. The 1969 film version, directed by Fosse, stars Shirley MacLaine as Charity, Chita Rivera as Nickie, and original Broadway star John McMartin as Oscar.