Character guide
Oscar Lindquist
from Sweet Charity
Oscar Lindquist is the male lead of Sweet Charity, Cy Coleman's 1966 musical, playing an anxious accountant who becomes Charity's most promising romantic prospect.
- Show
- Sweet Charity
- Broadway premiere
- 1966
- Role
- Lead
- Music by
- Cy Coleman
Oscar Lindquist on stage vs screen
Broadway compared with the 1969 film
John McMartin originated Oscar on Broadway in 1966, earning a Tony nomination, and reprised the role in Bob Fosse's 1969 film opposite Shirley MacLaine. In both he is a shy, claustrophobic man who meets Charity when an elevator gets stuck, and in both he proposes, then cannot accept her past as a taxi dancer. On stage he pushes her into the lake and runs off; in the film he leaves her at the marriage license bureau.
His ancestor in Fellini's 1957 film Nights of Cabiria, Oscar D'Onofrio (Francois Perier), is far darker: a con man who takes Cabiria's savings and abandons her.
Who is Oscar Lindquist?
Oscar meets Charity when they get stuck together in a stalled elevator, a chance encounter that grows into a tentative, nervous romance. He is neurotic and easily overwhelmed, particularly once he learns the truth about Charity's work as a dance hall hostess, and his struggle to accept her past becomes the central obstacle of their relationship.
Unlike Charity's earlier romantic disappointments, Oscar genuinely seems to care for her, which makes his eventual reaction to her past all the more devastating for her, and for the audience rooting for the couple.
Oscar's role in Sweet Charity
Oscar is a lead role that requires strong comic and dramatic range, since the character shifts from awkward comic relief to a source of real heartbreak as the story develops. His scenes with Charity, especially their elevator meeting and later confrontation, carry much of the show's emotional weight.
John McMartin originated the role on Broadway in 1966 and reprised it in the 1969 film adaptation opposite Shirley MacLaine. Audiences remember Oscar as a bittersweet figure, the nearly right man whose limitations ultimately let Charity down.
Oscar Lindquist: frequently asked questions
What show is Oscar Lindquist from?
Oscar Lindquist is a lead character in Sweet Charity, which opened on Broadway in 1966.
Is Oscar Lindquist a lead or supporting role?
Oscar is a lead role, serving as Charity's central romantic interest.
Who wrote the music for Sweet Charity?
Cy Coleman composed the music for Sweet Charity, with lyrics by Dorothy Fields.
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