60 Years Of Sweet Charity

This year marks 60 years since the first premiere of the musical Sweet Charity! It's a musical with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields and features some huge hits, which has transcended the musical genre. Most notably "Big Spender", which became a charting hit when Shirley Bassey recorded it in 1967. 

The musical was directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse and premiered on Broadway in 1966 starring Gwen Verdon in the lead role of Charity Hope Valentine. It was nominated for nine Tony Awards, winning the Tony Award for Best Choreography. 

The production opened in the West End at the Prince of Wales Theatre in October 1967, and has had several revivals, both on Broadway in 1986 and 2005 (starring Christina Applegate) and in the West End in 1998 and 2009.

Sweet Charity was adapted for the screen in 1969, directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse in his feature-film directorial debut. In the film, Shirley MacLaine starred as the title character, and John McMartin reprised his Broadway role as Oscar Lindquist. The film became known for Fosse's stylish and highly technical jazz choreography, known as the 'Fosse dance'. Especially his choreography to 'Rich Man's Frug' became iconic and synonymous with Fosse's style.

Several other of the songs in the production have had a life outside of the musical. "If My Friends Could See Me Now" from Act I was recorded in a disco version by Linda Clifford in 1978, and in 2024, Lady Gaga recorded a version of the song for "Harlequin", her companion album to the American musical thriller film Joker: Folie à Deux. The song "The Rhythm of Life" was also covered by Diana Ross and The Temptations in 1970.