Bob Fosse’s “Sweet Charity,” starring senior Mckenzie Campbell in the lead as Charity Hope Valentine, opened on Friday, Feb. 24 with an additional performance on Saturday, Feb. 25.
“Sweet Charity,” is a Broadway classic that originally debuted in 1966, first introducing audiences to Charity, an optimistic taxi dancer who navigates through unfulfilling relationships in her life in search of true love. In spite of her bleak job as a dance hall hostess at the Fandango Ballroom, Charity remains hopeful that she’ll find a way out.
Guided by Theater Director Kyle Reynolds, the production was meant to shed light on the diverse walks of life in which we find ourselves and the importance of empathy. “I think it teaches heart,” Mr. Reynolds said. “The message is shifting your thinking about judgment, perseverance, working hard, and taking risks.”
In choosing this year’s winter musical, Mr. Reynolds was confident he would have a cast with the ability to appreciate its depth and take on its most challenging roles. “I knew that we had the kids to do it,” he said. “I didn’t know who any of those people would be, but I knew that we could fill those roles.”
KO students had the honor of welcoming renowned actress and dancer Stephanie Pope for a two-day intensive on everything “Fosse.” Not only did she understudy for Charity in the 1986 Broadway revival, but she was also selected as a member of The Verdon Fosse Legacy LLC, tasked with carrying on his technique after his death. “If we were going to do this, I wanted to get her eyes on it to make sure we were doing it right,” Mr. Reynolds said. “I wanted to make sure that Fosse would be proud.”
During her time here, she taught students the aspects of what truly defines a Fosse dance. “Rich Man’s Frug,” a number that juxtaposes loud, bold moves with near stillness, was an instant favorite among the cast. “Overall, the process of learning Fosse-style moves and putting them into one synchronized piece was really satisfying,” sophomore Alex Segal said. “I think the hard work really paid off.”
There was initial hesitation from students about portraying characters who “rent their bodies” to sleazy men, but this subsided after hearing wise words from Stephanie Pope. “To shy away from the sometimes harsh realities of life and the choices someone needs to make to survive cheats our young people out of the opportunity to develop compassion, empathy, and understanding of others who might not be like them,” she said, when speaking to the students.
Mr. Reynolds acknowledged this when choosing the musical, opting to use it as an opportunity to have conversations about the stigma around this issue. “I want there to be an element of surprise, but I feel passionately that there’s a level of education for any show and that it’s really important for our community,” he said. “What is a taxi dancer? What is not a taxi dancer? What has been stigmatized? Choosing the level of education that’s appropriate for our community is a challenge, but it’s worth it.”
Students in the cast and crew spent over 100 hours on campus tirelessly preparing for the musical. It was anything but easy, but students and adults alike were proud of the show they were able to produce. Sophomore Joella Asapokhai, who returned for a second year of theater tech, worked in the fly loft during the performance. “The most challenging part of tech was learning to build a set with an entire group of people,” she reflected. “I’ve learned a variety of leadership and collaboration skills, and my favorite thing about musical season is the sense of community.”
Senior Kaitlyn Finnerty stepped up once again as Stage Manager, taking on additional responsibilities in order to make sure rehearsals ran smoothly. “One of my biggest responsibilities was being a mediator between students and the adults, taking concerns that students have and making sure that they’re heard by Mr. Reynolds, Mr. Bane, or Mr. Mitchell,” she said.
The cast did not fail to deliver an outstanding performance, with top-notch singing, dancing, and acting. Mr. Reynolds was incredibly proud of what this musical was able to become through the students. “I’m amazed. The level of student ownership is so incredible and impressive, and that doesn’t happen at every school,” he said. “That doesn’t happen in every program. I know that this show and this program means so much to these kids.”
Over the weekend, the cast and crew put on three spectacular performances; the culmination of exhausting hours and dedication put into the musical. Backstage, the energy was electric and the excitement was tangible. After months of direction from Mr. Reynolds, Technical Director Michael Bane, and Choral Director Steve Mitchell, it was then entirely in the hands of the students.
Afterward, audience members were amazed by the attention to detail and the amount of effort that clearly went into the performance. “I was blown away. There were so many people and parts of the musical that I didn’t expect, and everyone did such a great job,” sophomore Nidhi Bhat said.
In anticipation of next year’s musical, Mr. Reynolds reflected on what he’s learned through this experience. “I’ve learned how important it is to tell hard stories. In a world of cancel-culture and hypersensitivity, we have to be able to tell difficult stories the right way,” he said. “There’s really good energy about these kids. We are able to do really hard things really well.”
