Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields' Sweet Charity is one of those B-level musicals like Mame, which premiered only five months later in 1966. It's not strong of script, packed with several memorable songs, and it didn't run forever. It was a star turn to highlight the talents of such theatre luminaries as Gwen Verdon and, in later remountings, Debbie Allen and Anne Reinking. It is a dated downer of a script with a few good songs like "Big Spender" and "If They Could See Me Now," but it is a chance for the leading lady to shine. Scott Campbell's current production at Theater Works is a faithful retelling of this simple story of a dancehall girl with a heart of gold. For Theater Works-bred Shawna Quain, just back from an impressive performance as one of the merry murderesses in Phoenix Theatre's Chicago, it is her first real shot at carrying a musical. The result is pretty good.

As a triple threat, Quain is two-and-three-quarters of three. She definitely has the dancing down. She easily and energetically performs Laurie Case's impressive Fosse-inspired choreography. She is a very good singer. Her solo renditions of "If They Could See Me Now" and "I'm a Brass Band" are nearly flawless, although she seemed breathless after the rigors of both the singing and the dancing. Her duets with neurotic love interest Oscar (Travis Mondesitt) and trios with cohorts Shelley Phetteplace and Brandi Bigley are excellent. Her acting is sweetly consistent as she keeps loveable loser Charity completely sympathetic. Technically, she is able to carry the bulk of this show on her shoulders, but she doesn't quite have the presence to make this musical her own. When she's not kicking up her heels or belting, one's eye does not naturally center on her. It's not exactly energy that stops her from completely wowing the audience more than electricity. It's glibly easy for me to point this out, but regrettably impossible for me to suggest how to capture such an elusive, ephemeral quality. Overall, though, her considerable efforts and many talents can and should be appreciated.

Mondesitt does an excellent job of portraying the nervous Oscar. His vocal quavers are a bit much, but his strong singing voice and quick comic timing overshadow any slight problems. Also, there is an actual bond between him and Quain that is nice to observe. Phetteplace and Bigley match Quain step for step and note for note. Their turn in "There's Gotta Be Something Better than This" is a highlight for all three. The remainder of the women's ensemble is nearly perfectly in synch when they line up for the sultry, desperate "Big Spender." Terry Hamilton leads a hilarious interpretation of "The Rhythm of Life" that once again features excellent choreography. Disappointing is Dion Johnson's Italian film star Vittorio. His singing is incredible, but his jet set wandering accent and uninspired posturing is underwhelming. Jason Gerace's loutish Herman is quite enjoyable, especially his rendition of "I Love to Cry at Weddings."

Paul Bridgeman's set is a translucent Mondrian collage in a mid-sixties palate that is successfully able to become many locations, although when the gel scrollers in the unbilled lighting design shift from color to color, as they often do, the flats upstage the actors. Cris Wo's sound design works well. Christie McKibben's band is a mixed curse. It's nice that there are so many to play Coleman's varied score, but the talent level of each member varies wildly, as sharps, flats, and missed notes dominate some sections of the music.

Since shifting to their new location, Theater Works has really found some consistency, and it's nice to see their production values and talent levels returning to earlier glory days. Congratulations to Campbell, who has turned adversity to advantage and is once again offering worthwhile theatre in the northwest valley.