Charity Hope Valentine has a heart of gold.
That heart is matched only by her substantial singing and fantastic dancing chops. On the stage, in front of a crowd, she is pure savant.
Yet that self-assured confidence doesn’t translate once the stage lights at the Fandango Ballroom fade to black. Taking walks with a man under the glitter of moonlight bouncing off a shallow stream of water offers no romance. If anything, that shallow body is where Charity’s dreams go to drown.
Charity Hope Valentine (Ruby Day) with her geeky beau, Oscar Lindquist (Jeffrey Brian Adams) in the musical “Sweet Charity” at San Jose Stage. (Dave Lepori for San Jose Stage Company)
San Jose Stage’s production of the 1966 musical “Sweet Charity” survives an uneven start and finds its sea legs as it progresses, and is beautifully performed throughout. The production, which caps the theater company’s 42nd season, runs through June 29.
This is a musical that feels classic yet empowering, and Neil Simon’s vintage wordplay inside Dorothy Fields and Cy Coleman’s rich score holds up nicely.
The bouncy Charity (Ruby Day) lives in a fantasy world, where the men in her life probably spend their days coining richly poetic phrases to impress her. The reality is that those men are not of the chivalrous variety, and Charity, who literally wears her heart on her shoulder, is left melancholy.
A near-drowning leads to her chance encounter with Italian film star Vittorio Vidal (Noel Anthony), and she ends up in his apartment. Despite the excitement of being in a major star’s presence, she ultimately finds herself hiding in a corner while he engages in passionate lovemaking with his viciously jealous girlfriend, Ursula (Adria Swan).
Aside from being a singing and dancing superhero, Charity is also a league leader in chance meetings. One of those has the potential to end Charity’s losing streak of horrid men when she gets stuck in an elevator with claustrophobe Oscar Lindquist (Jeffrey Brian Adams). He’s a geeky tax accountant charmer who adds the “Sweet” adjective to her name.
Unfortunately, there is another word that might describe Charity — secretive, as in, she is reticent to let Oscar know she’s an entertainer for men, a paid taxi dancer.
It’s an interesting tact on her part, one borne of sadness and misogyny, a woman forced to live with shame for her profession. Through the pervasive smiles, she never feels worthy that true love with a genuine soul is hers to access.
The wide-ranging performance of Day is revelatory; every inch of Charity’s joy and heartbreak is a masterful turn. Just notice Day’s variance through Charity’s bright-eyed heartbreak, the tenuous grasp of her many fleeting loves, and the pure joy when her toes are burning the floor. The performance is built from the stuff of one who understands the needs of a classic leading lady, embracing the magnitude of what “title character” truly means.
The veteran performer Adams is a strong advocate for Oscar’s mystery. Meeting the perfect girl and marrying her is a world that Oscar wants to occupy, but the show’s tragic payoff is handled beautifully in director Kenneth Kelleher’s staging, easily one of the best moments in the show. All of it is both infuriating but makes sense for Oscar, who proves to be in way over his head, despite Charity’s passionate pleas.
Other aspects of the show contribute to the piece’s effective unity. Songs such as “Big Spender,” and “If My Friends Could See Me Now,” are greatly enhanced by Bethany Deal’s brilliant period costumes, while Monica Moe’s choreography pops everywhere.
In addition to the strong tech aspects, supporting characters are allowed to live and breathe freely. Both Erin Rose Solorio and Jaqueline Neeley nail their version of “Baby Dream Your Dream,” and Nick Mandracchia’s booming version of the chuckly “I Love to Cry at Weddings” is an effective touch to further prepare the audience for the denouement that truly stuns in the final tableau.
Sadly, until the right man provides polish, Charity’s golden heart may be doomed for everlasting tarnish.
David John Chávez is chair of the American Theatre Critics/Journalists Association and a two-time juror for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama (‘22-‘23); @davidjchavez.bsky.social.
‘SWEET CHARITY’
Book by Neil Simon, Music by Cy Coleman, Lyrics by Dorothy Fields, presented by San Jose Stage Company
Through: June 29
Where: San Jose Stage, 490 S. 1st St., San Jose
Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes with an intermission
Tickets: $47-$60; thestage.org