Sweet Charity

Sweet Charity, the famed 1966 Broadway musical, was based on Federico Fellini’s screenplay, Nights of Cabiria, a tale of the romantic ups-and-downs of an ever-hopeful prostitute, with the central character adapted to a dancer-for-hire at a Times Square dance hall. Director Julio Augustin saw similarities between this endearing protagonist and a succession of Latina stars, including Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, Eva Longoria, Eva Mendez, Shakira and Rita Hayworth, each of whom, through tumultuous relationships and (for the most part) public divorces, maintained a public image of innocence and held out hope for a love that is happily-ever-after.

Thus was born an idea to make the title character into Caridad, a Latina Sweet Charity, setting the musical in a neighborhood that is both 60s in feel and fun, but also urban, edgy and contemporary.