Royal Oak High School Presents ‘Sweet Charity’

The Drama Club presents Sweet Charity, the celebrated Neil Simon and Bob Fosse musical, this weekend at the school.

Sweet Charity is a hilarious music and dance explosion from the cool-cat mid-1960s Manhattan. The show stars sophomore Bridget Vial of Royal Oak as Charity, junior Chris Wagman of Royal Oak as Vidal, junior Isaac Garrigues-Cortelyou as Oscar and senior Alexandra Dulin of Clawson as Ursula.

The show is directed by Ed Nahhat, founder of , a Royal Oak native and Kimball High School graduate. The choreographer is fellow Royal Oak resident Frannie Shepherd-Bates of the Magenta Giraffe Theatre. Vocal coaching is by ROHS' award-winning Choir Director Deborah Buffa and orchestra directed by ROHS alumnus Jason Rose.

The show, which features favorite tunes such as "Big Spender" and "If My Friends Could See Me Now," poses a new challenge for the high school students, but young talent needs a challenge to grow, Nahhat said.

“We took on Sweet Charity because the music is great, the dancing is really cool and the humor is top notch,” Nahhat said. “Sweet Charity is a grown-up musical that takes on a tough world: 1960s Manhattan, where women are dependent upon men in a way that, thankfully, they aren't today. And girls with good hearts, like Charity, can get literally pushed around in their search for true love.”

This is the first lead role for Vial, who is in every scene in the production. “Playing Charity has been so much fun. She's sweet and naïve and really hilarious - though she doesn't mean to be,” Vial said. “I think the audience will appreciate the humor in the show.”

Nahhat is proud of the quality of work the students have produced.

"ROHS Drama Club offers top-notch performing arts programs. We work with award-winning professionals from Water Works Theatre Company and other respected groups in the community to provide students with multi-skill development opportunities in teamwork, leadership, responsibility, creativity, self-confidence and pure fun.”

The show also features Emma Stevens, Leslie Seery, Lucas Valone, Calvin Brown, Hannah Wielgat, Christiaan LaFata, Max Sanders and many other ROHS Drama Club up-and-coming stars.

The show is stage managed by ROHS Drama Club President Freida Blostein and Connor Valone. 

If you go

What: Sweet Charity, the celebrated Neil Simon and Bob Fosse musical, brought to life by the Royal Oak High School Drama Club

When:
7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11
7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12
2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 13

Where: , 1500 Lexington Blvd.

Tickets: $10 for adults, $5 for students. Tickets are available by calling 248.435.8500 or at the school before the show.