Nancye Hayes is a name synonymous with Australian musical theatre. With a career spanning more than six decades, she has captivated audiences as a dancer, singer and actor, earning acclaim for her radiant performances in productions including Guys and Dolls, Chicago and, of course, Sweet Charity.
When Nancye first encountered Sweet Charity in the mid-1960s, it was the perfect fusion of her dance background and her natural optimism that drew her to the character of Charity Hope Valentine. This role would become a defining milestone early in her career.
Now, as the much-anticipated production of Sweet Charity arrives at QPAC’s Concert Hall, presented by Prospero Arts, the torch is passed to rising star Loren Hunter. Directed and choreographed by acclaimed artist Cameron Mitchell, this fresh interpretation promises to honour the show’s legacy while bringing its timeless themes of hope, heartache and resilience to new audiences.
We sat down with Nancye to hear her reflections on the original production, the enduring appeal of Sweet Charity, and her advice for the next generation of performers preparing to bring Charity to life onstage.
Can you take us back to the moment you first encountered Sweet Charity? What drew you to Charity as a character?
I heard about Sweet Charity because I was working on a show called The Boys from Syracuse, and the director, Christopher Hewitt, had come out here from New York. Just before he went back, he said to me, “There is a show coming to New York and I believe it has your name on it. I’m going to send you the album as soon as it’s released,” which he did.
Of course, I fell in love with it immediately. Gwen Verdon, who was a great dancer, was starring in it. I came from a dance background, and I knew the character had to be a dancer. So, then I started working on my dance and singing along with the record and waiting for the time when I had the opportunity to be seen for the role.
Landing the role of Charity Hope Valentine was a defining moment in your early career. How did that opportunity come about, and did you have any sense of how transformative it would be?
J. C. Williamson’s presented Sweet Charity, and their policy was to bring in imported artists for the leading roles, which had been going on for quite some time. But audiences in Australia started to see Australians in supporting roles and follow them.
It began when Toni Lamond led a successful full Australian cast in The Pyjama Game. After that, Jill Perryman took on a leading role in Funny Girl. I was the third Australian to be given a leading role, so this marked an important shift in our profession.
Charity is such a unique mix of optimism, heartbreak and grit. How did you approach bringing her emotional world to life, and did any part of her story feel personal to you?
I’m an optimist by nature. You have to be to survive this career.
For me, it was very much in the writing because I hadn’t personally been a dance hall hostess!
It’s beautifully written, and you find a lot of it when playing the lines – you find the emotional depth, the comedy and the resilience in it. It’s all there for you, so it’s a gift of a role.
What do you think sets Sweet Charity apart from other musicals of its era and why do you think it continues to speak to audiences today?
It has an incredible score, one that people genuinely know and love. For its time, the production was remarkably innovative. It was on an almost bare stage with just a cyclorama, a simple backdrop lit in different colours. Scenes flowed in and out, which Charity moved to accommodate and she was rarely offstage.
Bob Fosse wrote the part for his wife, Gwen Verdon, in her return to Broadway after the birth of their daughter, Nicole. Gwen was an extraordinary performer, and he created the role to showcase every aspect of her talent in Sweet Charity.
I think the show still resonates because the desire to be loved is universal. There is also a sense of nostalgia in its setting. The 1960s are coming back into fashion and the show captures the spirit of that era beautifully.
Much has been said about the physical and emotional demands of the role – the comedy, the choreography, the vulnerability. What was the most challenging part for you and what gave you the most joy?
The physical side of it, certainly. But the laughter, it’s a great feeling when you get laughter from an audience! And then you get that lovely silence when you know they’re with you. It’s an emotional journey, it really is.
I did years of training for Charity Hope Valentine. I knew I had to be extremely fit because you’re dancing and singing at the same time, and as soon as you finish the song and dance, you go straight back into dialogue. There are a lot of demands on you.
Rising star Loren Hunter is preparing to step into Charity’s shoes this December, in Prospero Arts’ upcoming production of Sweet Charity at QPAC. If you could give Loren just one piece of advice, what would it be?
Pace yourself and give yourself a little bit of time to recover! It’s really important to take care of yourself throughout the performance week, too.
Is there a particular moment (a song, a scene, a line) that you believe every performer must truly understand to do the role justice?
There are so many moments! I love Brass Band. There’s that moment when he asks her to marry him, and this euphoria takes over her. The way she parades that joy in the form of a brass band is just a wonderful number to do.
And I do love the line after she’s been pushed in the lake for the second time. She comes out and says, “Did you ever have one of those days?”
What does it feel like seeing the new generation’s performers, like Loren, discover Sweet Charity for the first time, knowing you are part of its Australian legacy?
I wish her all the very best. I hope she finds all the joy in Sweet Charity that it’s brought me, and that she stays injury-free and enjoys every second of it.
I’d also love to see this production, because the choreographer and director, Cameron Mitchell, is a great friend and someone whose work I admire enormously. I know he’ll create a wonderful production.
Sweet Charity plays at QPAC’s Concert Hall 11-14 December.