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By Robert Simonson
and Kenneth Jones
29 Mar 2005

Christina Applegate in Sweet Charity
photo by Paul Kolnick

It was on. Then it was off. Now it's back on again. Broadway will see Sweet Charity at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on April 11 with Charlotte d'Amboise in the lead, and Christina Applegate joining the show on April 18, producer Barry Weissler told Playbill.com.

Opening night will be May 4.

Barry Weissler said in a statement: "I spent the weekend on the telephone with Christina Applegate who made a passionate and compelling case for moving forward with our Broadway plans. Her doctor also confirmed this morning that she will be ready and able to resume performances on April 18th. I have approached my partners on the show and we have all agreed to put up the additional funds necessary to accommodate this new schedule. I guess the only thing left for me to do is ask everyone to please refrain from using the old showbiz adage, 'break a leg!'"

The quick change is only the latest for the show in the last two weeks. Producers announced March 25 that the revival would close with its final performance in Boston March 27. Charlotte d'Amboise was the actress performing the title role during that engagement. She began her surprise bout on March 18, subbing for Christina Applegate, who broke her foot during one of the final shows of the earlier Chicago stand.

The show was to have begun previews at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre April 4 and officially opened on Broadway April 21.

On March 25, Barry Weissler said in a statement "The Sweet Charity company is one of the most gifted and talented group of individuals I've ever had the privilege of working with. I know I speak on behalf of my partners when I say how deeply proud we are of everyone who worked on this production. However, our weak sales on the road and in New York have left us with little choice other than to make the painful but fiscally responsible decision to close the production in Boston."

Earlier on March 25, Weissler told the New York Post that he would bring the show to New York. "Of course we're bringing it in. Why would we not? At the end of the day, the public will decide whether we are a success or a failure."

Charlotte d'Amboise was standby to original star Christina Applegate until recently. Applegate broke her foot during the March 11 performance in Chicago, two days before that second of three out-of-town engagements ended at the Cadillac Palace Theatre. Understudy Dylis Croman stepped in March 11-13. Soon after, it was announced that the show would arrive in Boston with Tony Award nominee d'Amboise in the title role March 18-27, at the Colonial Theatre.

Also joining the cast in Boston were the Helen and Nickie of Kyra DaCosta and Janine LaManna. The two thespians were brought in to replace Solange Sandy and Natascia Diaz, respectively, shortly after the Chicago run wrapped up. They play Charity's best pals, who commiserate with Charity that "there's gotta be something better than this."

Boston was the third and last pre-Broadway tryout town for the Walter Bobbie-directed musical. The show spent Feb. 8-20 in Minneapolis, and then moved on to Chicago on Feb. 24.

The creative team for Sweet Charity comprises Walter Bobbie (director), Wayne Cilento (choreographer), Scott Pask (set designer), William Ivey Long (costume design), Brian MacDevitt (lighting designer), Peter Hylenski (sound designer), Gordon Lowry Harrell (music director) and Don Sebesky (orchestrator).

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