Character guide
Charity Hope Valentine
from Sweet Charity
Charity Hope Valentine is the lead of Sweet Charity, Cy Coleman's 1966 musical, playing a hopelessly optimistic dance hall hostess searching for love in New York City.
- Show
- Sweet Charity
- Broadway premiere
- 1966
- Role
- Lead
- Music by
- Cy Coleman
Charity Hope Valentine on stage vs screen
Broadway compared with the 1969 film
Gwen Verdon originated Charity on Broadway in 1966; Shirley MacLaine played her in Bob Fosse's 1969 film. Both descend from Cabiria, the kind-hearted Roman sex worker Giulietta Masina played in Federico Fellini's 1957 film Nights of Cabiria; the musical turns her into a taxi dancer at New York's Fandango Ballroom.
The endings differ. On stage, Oscar pushes her into the lake and runs off, and the show closes on signs reading 'And so she lived... hopefully... ever after.' In the film, Oscar leaves her at the marriage license bureau and a group of hippies in Central Park lifts her spirits. Fosse also shot a happy ending but found it too corny.
Who is Charity Hope Valentine?
Charity works as a dance hall hostess at the Fandango Ballroom, dancing with men for tips while holding onto an unshakable belief that real love is somewhere ahead of her. Her romantic pursuits, including a brief encounter with movie star Vittorio Vidal and a hopeful courtship with the anxious Oscar Lindquist, repeatedly end in disappointment.
Despite being let down again and again, Charity never fully loses her warmth or her hope, which is what makes her one of musical theatre's most enduring underdog heroines. Her resilience, rather than any single romance, is the true engine of her story.
Charity's role in Sweet Charity
Charity is the show's lead role and appears in nearly every scene, requiring a performer with strong singing, sharp comic timing, and the dance ability to keep pace with Bob Fosse's choreography. Her key numbers include If My Friends Could See Me Now and There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This, both of which blend comedy and vulnerability.
Gwen Verdon originated the role on Broadway in 1966, and Shirley MacLaine played her in the 1969 film adaptation. Christina Applegate later starred as Charity in the show's 2005 Broadway revival, continuing the role's reputation as a demanding showcase for a leading lady who can dance, sing, and break hearts all at once.
Charity Hope Valentine: frequently asked questions
What show is Charity Hope Valentine from?
Charity Hope Valentine is the lead character of Sweet Charity, which opened on Broadway in 1966.
Is Charity Hope Valentine a lead or supporting role?
Charity is the lead role, appearing in nearly every scene of the musical.
Who wrote the music for Sweet Charity?
Cy Coleman composed the music for Sweet Charity, with lyrics by Dorothy Fields.
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