‘Charity’ should be about more than dance

If ever there were a competition for a Vegas show in which technical incompetence upstaged any and all performing talent, Musical Actors Theatre's "Sweet Charity" would be at least a finalist.

The script is a light confection based on Fellini's comedy gem, "Le Notti de Cabiria." Bob Fosse's 1996 musical adaptation wants nothing more than to have some fun with the adventures of a lonely, lovely, kooky dance-hall hostess (and, we suspect, more) who is trying to find love. It was one of Broadway's first acknowledgments of the "hippie movement", and the lyrics contain things like, "Man, oh, man!" and "Flip your wings and fly to daddy!" This was shocking stuff for the then-uppity Great White Way.

So what you need above all is a triple-threat lead who earns the fact that she never leaves the stage. B. Noelle Rowe is not she. Rowe has a pleasing smile and a trained dancer's body. But she cannot act. She punctuates nearly every other line with a giggle, which tells you not only how out of control her performance is, but how uninterested director Jim Carey seems to be in it. You expect uneven performances in a community theater production, but not in a lead role.

Rarely does any actor suggest any knowledge about what musical comedy performance is all about, which is why I was very grateful for Rolando Barone's turn as the silky, crooning Vittorio, who earns his status as a heartthrob; Darci Burke, who dances a mean frug; and the young Bernard Jackson who, as a chorus member, moves with the precision and presence of a seasoned pro.

Curious, too, why Michael Spadoni's 19-member orchestra sounds so screechy. You don't expect the Philharmonic in community theater, but you do expect musicians to have some idea of which county the proper notes are in.

But whatever talent is up there -- including Carey's occasional exciting choreography -- is eaten by insipidly amateurish set pieces (designed by something called "J.C. Productions") and uncredited lighting so out-of-control and unknowing that the culprit should not be allowed to have lunch in this town again. (I'm aware there were some malfunctioning lights opening night, but that doesn't explain the misuse of wandering spotlights, the unexplained pockets of darkness, and the sloppy shadows.)

Does Carey understand that theater is a visual medium? That "Sweet Charity" is about something more than just dance?

Anthony Del Valle can be reached at DelValle@aol.com. You can write him c/o Las Vegas Review-Journal, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125.