One thing dinner theatre has got nailed, that is not as fully understood by other types of theatre, is ambiance. Wichita’s Crown Uptown Dinner Theatre holds true to this trait in presenting its current show, Sweet Charity. Theatre is an excursion, a chance for people to get away and get out, so attention should be paid to the whole experience. By using live pre-show music (played by the fabulous Kent Stucky) and having a clean, decorative theatre, reminiscent of older style show houses, the Crown Uptown gets the audience loosened up for enjoying the approaching show.

Sweet Charity, Neil Simon’s comedy about a female escort who only wants someone to love her, is best known as a Fosse show - it was originally choreographed by Bob Fosse, and subsequent productions are usually produced with Fosse imitation choreography. Crown’s version of Sweet Charity is done in this manner with Rebecca Shubart's choreography “inspired by Bob Fosse” attaining only mixed success. Overall, though, the show is entertaining and light. Easy to shallow, but not necessarily filling.

The story takes the characters through a collection of strange settings to constantly keep the audience guessing what might happen next. From Charity being locked in a movie star’s closet, to lovebirds being trapped at the top of a Coney Island ride, the script flings the audience into random places and gets a good part of its humor from the off-the-wall circumstances. Neil Simon has a wonderful control of humor and wrote a fitting ending for Charity’s character that leaves the audience with a warm fuzzy feeling, so frequently achieved by musical theatre.

Within the cast, Karen L. Robu (playing Charity) is, without question, the best performer. This is a rich character, but light enough to easily garner sympathy. Robu’s body language is consistent and befitting her character. The frequent sickling and rolling of her right foot combined with her turned-in stance and flimsy upper body, gives off a casual cutsiness that is perfect for Charity. Her timing is excellent, never failing to bring the audience with her for a laugh or a tear. Her chemistry with Oscar (played by her real life husband, Timothy W. Robu) is enchanting, particularly in their first meeting and their late night meeting in the diner.

Another stand-out performance is that of Travis Lane McDiffett (Herman) in the comedy number “I Love to Cry at Weddings.” McDiffett has a rich voice that suits his city-dweller character, and this song connects with the audience in similar fashion to “Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat” from Guys and Dolls. “ ... Weddings” is a fun-loving song that exposes the softer side of a tough character without destroying his identity.

Of the three major attributes of musical theatre - acting, singing, dancing - Sweet Charity has a hit, a miss, and a roller-coaster ride of highs and lows. In acting, the exchanges are fluid, the timing hits its mark, and the leads understand their characters. The singing is another story. It isn’t terrible, but it is simplistic and weak. Some solos (“I Love to Cry at Weddings” being one of them) do all right, but the numbers performed by the Fan-Dango gang don’t come off well. Charity stands well above the rest with with her number “If My Friends Could See Me Now.” Ms. Robu again proves herself an accomplished performer by taking the simple music and singing her all into it.

That leaves us with the choreography by Rebecca Shubart. The first dance number in the show is “Big Spender,” which is now one of Fosse’s most replicated and referenced pieces. Uptown’s attempt at Fosse-style flopps on this number, but with surprising effect. The provocative nature of “Big Spender,” instead of being offensive, comes off as comical. The women on stage jerk through the movements and throw themselves about without the attention to fluidity and detail that Fosse insisted upon, and the result is that the song looks like a farce. At the performance I attended, scattered laughter filled the house as the dancers hiked up their skirts, swiveled their hips, and sang about giving a “big spender” a “good-time.” There is no expectation of praiseworthy dance left when “Rich Man’s Frug” takes the stage to again make an attempt at Fosse-style movement. But this time the dance hits its mark squarely, with the two men in front making an extraordinary performance in the desired style. Positions are precisely hit; the leaned-forward walk, characteristic of many Fosse dances, is done with the ease that makes Fosse’s work so appealing. For the rest of the show it is anyone’s guess as to whether the next number will fly or fall. “If My Friends Could See Me Now” - flying high. “There’s Gotta Be Something Better Than This” - crash. “I’m a Brass Bass” - soaring. Well, you get the idea.

The technical side also is hurting in Sweet Charity. The tracked music often overpowers the performers, even with their wireless mics. The mics themselves create problems when performers bump them. The lighting has multiple dips on the downstage, leaving the performers to walk through darkened spots while delivering an important line. The cyc is wrinkled and loose so the background lighting is divided, scattered, and basically an eyesore.

Added respect has been earned by Crown Uptown for their prevailing patriotism. Many of the performers’ bios were written to support those hurt by America’s recent attacks, rather than to credit the performer. Crown Uptown also collected hundreds of dollars to donate to families of the victims. And the grand finale after the curtain call is a plea for the audience to join them in “God Bless America”, which the entire audience does with gratitude.

When all is said and done, the show is fun to watch and a worthwhile venture. Sweet Charity opened Crown Uptown’s 25th Season and I hope that they see many more seasons entertaining audiences in Wichita as they did Thursday evening. Sweet Charity closes November 11, 2001 Crown uptown’s next show is Holidazzle. Visit Crown Uptown’s website is www.crownuptown.com for more information.

-- Tony Burnett