Sweet Charity Revival Cancels Broadway Engagement

Sweet Charity will not be reaching Broadway after all, a production spokesperson confirmed to Broadway.com. The Cy Coleman-Dorothy Fields-Neil Simon tuner will play its final performance on March 27 in Boston.

"The Sweet Charity company is one of the most gifted and talented group of individuals I've ever had the privilege of working with. I know I speak on behalf of my partners when I say how deeply proud we are of everyone who worked on this production," producer Barry Weissler said in a statement. "However, our weak sales on the road and in New York have left us with little choice other than to make the painful but fiscally responsible decision to close the production in Boston."

This production of Sweet Charity, with Christina Applegate in the title role, began life at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis, where it ran from February 8 through February 20. The show then played Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre from February 24 through March 13. The revival suffered a major setback when leading lady Applegate broke her foot on March 11, during the Chicago engagement of the tuner, and was forced to sit out the Boston run at the Colonial Theatre from March 18 to March 27. Charlotte d'Amboise assumed the role of Charity Hope Valentine and was expected to begin Broadway previews on April 4, then officially open the show on April 21 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. Producers planned to put Applegate into the role upon her recovery.

In addition to D'Amboise, the Boston mounting of Sweet Charity starred Denis O'Hare, Janine LaManna, Kyra Dacosta, Ernie Sabella, Paul Schoeffler, Rhett George and Shannon Lewis.