Sweet Charity Star Applegate is Sidelined; d’Amboise to Open Show on Broadway; LaManna and DaCosta Replace Diaz and Sandy
for Sweet Charity
(Photo © Joseph Marzullo)
It has been announced that Christina Applegate, the star of the new Broadway bound production of the Cy Coleman-Dorothy Fields-Neil Simon musical Sweet Charity, broke her foot during a performance of the musical on Friday, March 11 in Chicago. The show was playing its second of three pre-Broadway engagements there at the Cadillac Palace Theatre.
According to a press release issued this morning, Applegate sustained her injury at the beginning of the show and continued to perform for approximately 20 minutes before being unable to continue. Understudy Dylis Croman finished the show and subsequently played the final three performances of the Chicago engagement on Saturday and Sunday, March 12 and March 13.
This morning’s press release further reported that standby Charlotte d’Amboise would play Charity in the production’s final pre-Broadway engagement at Boston’s Colonial Theatre, March 18-27, and that Applegate’s doctors were “optimistic” that the star would be able to return to the show in time for the first Broadway preview performance at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on April 4. This evening, however, it was announced that d’Amboise will open the show on Broadway and that “the producers plan to present Christina Applegate, originally slated for the role, in her Broadway debut upon her recovery.”
in rehearsal for Sweet Charity
(Photo © Joseph Marzullo)
It has also been confirmed that featured cast members Natascia Diaz and Solange Sandy have been replaced by Janine LaManna and Kyra DaCosta (respectively) in the roles of Nickie and Helene, effective immediately. No reason for the change in casting was given by the show’s publicist.
Sweet Charity co-stars Denis O’Hare as Oscar and features Ernie Sabella as Herman. Produced by Barry and Fran Weissler and Clear Channel Entertainment in association with Edwin W. Schloss, the show is directed by Walter Bobbie and choreographed by Wayne Cilento. The design team includes Scott Pask (sets), William Ivey Long (costumes), Brian MacDevitt (lighting), Paul Huntley (hair), and Peter Hylenski (sound). Gordon Lowry Harrell is musical director of the production.
