The many virtues of Charity

MANILA, Philippines - Running through the weekends of August at the RCBC Carlos P. Romulo Theater, the Neil Simon/Bob Fosse musical play Sweet Charity, as produced by our very own 9 Works Theatrical, is an utter joy to watch. After her stint with Legally Blonde, Nikki Gil takes on the role of Charity Hope Valentine, and to say she astounds would be an understatement! Singing, dancing, acting: Nikki is an unbelievable dervish in this role, proving once again how she has made theater her veritable home.

Set in a dance hall/bordello, Charity is one of the dancers employed by the club, ever the optimist when it comes to romance and finding true happiness. The rich irony in the fact that she can still be such an “innocent” while working in that kind of environment is part of the play’s magical spell, and a perennial source of pathos and humor. We meet Charity as she reaches the end of one more disastrous relationship; and the girls at the club aren’t much of a comfort, as true to form, they’re jaded, hard-nosed realists when it comes to storybook romances — we meet them via the rousing Hey, Big Spender number. Charity meeting Italian matinee idols and neurotic certified accountants form the plotline of the musical, with circumstances that both regale and entertain.

The ensemble acting is topnotch. Kris Lawrence as the claustrophobic nebbish accountant, Oscar, is a revelation in this stage debut — singing and acting with impeccable and unrestrained confidence. OJ Mariano in dual roles as the suave Italian actor, and as the head of a hippie congregation, is hilarious, and his singing brings the house down. Sheila Valderrama-Martinez, Ciara Sotto and Sheree put on accents from all over the world, and add much to the play’s “texture.” If anything, the superb talent assembled makes this musical shine from top to bottom. As expected, with the legendary Bob Fosse’s name attached to the production, there’s a lot of choreography to take in; and the set design is wonderfully inventive — loved the elevator scene.

And of course, there’s Nikki. She launches into song with impeccable delivery, then breaks into an extended dance number, or does her comedic routine, and when she returns to the singing, it amazes how she’s right in tune, and not even out of breath. It’s a physically demanding role, and kudos to her for being so prepared, and giving us, the audience, all we could ask for. She’s practically in every scene, and alone, would have been worth every moment we spend in the theater. But there is so much more, thanks to the superb ensemble cast, and the tight directing of Robbie Guevara. A staging that’s really worth catching — be charitable to yourself and indulge.