What Happened to the “Sweet Charity” Cast? Inside Their Lives After the Musical Comedy Premiered
What Happened to the “Sweet Charity” Cast? Inside Their Lives After the Musical Comedy Premiered
Kelly AllenSun, August 23, 2026 at 11:15 AM UTC
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Paula Kelly, Shirley MacLaine and Chita Rivera in ‘Sweet Charity’Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection -
Sweet Charity premiered on April 1, 1969
The musical comedy starred Shirley MacLaine, John McMartin and Chita Rivera, among others
Much of the cast maintained long careers in entertainment after Sweet Charity
Sweet Charity is all about love and resilient hope.
The musical comedy — which premiered on April 1, 1969 — is based on the 1966 Broadway musical of the same name, which was based on Federico Fellino’s 1957 film Le Notti di Cabiria (Nights of Cabiria). It starred Shirley MacLaine as Charity Hope Valentine, a dance hall hostess in New York City who is eager to find love. While she falls for several men who turn out to not be “the one,” she remains resilient and optimistic in her search.
MacLaine has fond memories of the production. “I would like to see Sweet Charity again,” she announced to fans in August 2026 ahead of a Southampton Playhouse screening of the musical, adding that the cast worked hard making it.
She continued, “Between you and me, it didn’t do very well, so I hope you guys like it.”
Directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse, the musical comedy also starred John McMartin, Chita Rivera, Paula Kelly, Stubby Kaye, Sammy Davis Jr. and Ricardo Montalbán.
Here’s what happened to the cast of Sweet Charity after they starred in the 1969 musical comedy.
01 of 07
Shirley MacLaine as Charity Hope Valentine
Shirley MacLaine in ‘Sweet Charity’; Shirley MacLaine in December 2025 in Los AngelesCredit: Courtesy Everett Collection; Amanda Edwards/Getty
MacLaine continued to build her legendary, award-winning career in entertainment following her portrayal of Charity. She went on to star in Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970), Terms of Endearment (1983), for which she earned an Oscar, Steel Magnolias (1989), These Old Broads (2000), Valentine’s Day (2010) and many more.
She has appeared on several TV shows, including Downton Abbey (2012 and 2013), Glee (2014) and Only Murders in the Building (2022).
In 2025, MacLaine earned the Lifetime Achievement Award at the first-ever Dance Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Los Angeles. She credited dance for teaching her “discipline, love of music, a sense of cooperation with other people, being on time” and shared she went to dance class every day until she was in her 60s.
“I would have to say that dance, what I’ve learned being part of it, is why I’m still here,” she said.
MacLaine married film producer Steve Parker in 1954, per ABC News, and the couple famously maintained an open marriage.
“No one understood it, we did,” MacLaine told PEOPLE in March 2016. “He lived in Japan basically, I lived in America working, and this and that.”
Before MacLaine and Parker split in 1982, they welcomed their daughter, Sachi, in 1956.
02 of 07
John McMartin as Oscar Lindquist
John McMartin in ‘Sweet Charity’; John McMartin in June 2014 in New York CityCredit: Courtesy Everett Collection; Noam Galai/WireImage
McMartin portrayed Oscar, the tax accountant who becomes Charity’s main love interest, in both the film and stage musical.
He continued to act on Broadway, as well as in TV and film, for decades. He was part of the 1971 musical Follies, the 2002 revival of Into the Woods, the 2006 play Grey Gardens and the 2011 production A Free Man of Color, among others.
McMartin stepped into a handful of recurring TV roles, including on Falcon Crest and Beauty and the Beast. He also appeared on Cheers (1989), Murder, She Wrote (1985-1991), Law & Order (1992-2009) and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015).
In addition to his impressive career, McMartin married Cynthia Baer in 1960, per The New York Times. They met when he joined the cast of off-Broadway’s Little Miss Sunshine, which opened in 1959. Baer was a producer for the show.
Baer and McMartin welcomed two daughters, Susan and Kathleen, before they later divorced, per the outlet.
McMartin later entered a longtime companionship with Charlotte Moore. According to the publication, they met when they were both part of the New Phoenix Repertory Company.
McMartin died on July 6, 2016. He was 86, and the cause was cancer, per the NYT.
03 of 07
Chita Rivera as Nickie
Chita Rivera in ‘Sweet Charity’; Chita Rivera in June 2022 in New York CityCredit: Courtesy Everett Collection; Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty
Rivera further established herself as an award-winning trailblazer in the Broadway scene after portraying Nickie, a dance hall hostess and one of Charity’s friends, in Sweet Charity.
She received acclaim for playing the original Velma in Chicago (1975) along with starring in The Rink (1984), Jerry’s Girls (1985) and Kiss of the Spider Woman (1993). Rivera won two Tony’s, and was the first Latina to receive both a Kennedy Centers Honor and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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Rivera married choreographer and dancer Tony Mordente after the pair met during the 1957 Broadway production of West Side Story — another standout performance in Rivera’s repertoire. They welcomed their daughter, Lisa, in 1958 and divorced in 1966.
The actress died on Jan. 30, 2024. She was 91. A statement from her daughter said she died “after a brief illness.”
04 of 07
Paula Kelly as Helene
Paula Kelly in ‘Sweet Charity’; Paula Kelly in ‘Night Court’Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection; Frank Carroll/NBC via Getty
Kelly had her breakout role as Helene, a dancer who was one of Charity’s friends, in the Sweet Charity film and the West End stage production, per Deadline.
Throughout her career, Kelly’s true passion was dance. “The only time I feel complete expression is when I’m dancing,” she told The New Pittsburgh Courier in 1968, per The New York Times. “Then I feel I have no problems, no worries, no hangups. I feel I could do anything in the world.”
Across TV, film and the stage, Kelly brought many roles to life. She earned Emmy nominations for her parts in the NBC sitcom Night Court (1984) and the ABC miniseries The Women of Brewster Place (1989).
In 1985, Kelly married British film director Don Chaffey, per The New York Times. He died in 1990.
She was in a relationship with her longtime partner, George Parkington, when she died on Feb. 8, 2020, of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. She was 77.
05 of 07
Stubby Kaye as Herman
Stubby Kaye in ‘Sweet Charity’; Stubby Kaye in 2004Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection; Betty Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty
Kaye played Herman, the seedy owner of the ballroom where Charity worked.
After the Guys and Dolls (1955) star depicted Herman, the singer acted in several TV, film and stage productions, including Laverne & Shirley (1981), the 1985 Broadway musical Grind, Doctor Who (1987) and Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988).
In 1988, Kaye sang at former President Ronald Regan and Nancy Reagan’s final “In Performance at the White House” show, per the Los Angeles Times.
In December 1997, he died of lung cancer at his California home with his wife, Angela, and other family members by his side, per Variety. He was 79.
06 of 07
Sammy Davis Jr. as Big Daddy
Sammy Davis Jr. in ‘Sweet Charity’; Sammy Davis Jr. in 1988Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection; Harry Langdon/Getty
As Big Daddy in Sweet Charity, Davis Jr. played the magnetic leader of a church.
The Mr Wonderful (1956) and Ocean’s Eleven (1960) actor continued to be a star on-screen and onstage, breaking the color barrier across the entertainment industry. He sold out concert halls and embarked on a world tour with Frank Sinatra and Liza Minelli in 1988.
Davis Jr. appeared on General Hospital (1982), The Jeffersons (1984) and The Crosby Show (1989), for which he earned an Emmy nomination. His last film role was in the 1989 movie Tap.
He was married to Swedish actress May Britt from 1960 to 1968, and the couple had three children: a daughter, Tracey, and two sons, Mark and Jeff, per The New York Times. Davis Jr. also shared son Manny with his third wife, Altovise Gore, whom he married in 1970.
In May 1990, Davis Jr. died of throat cancer at 64 years old, per The New York Times.
07 of 07
Ricardo Montalbán as Vittorio Vidal
Ricardo Montalban in ‘Sweet Charity’; Ricardo Montalban in October 2003Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection; Mark Sullivan/WireImage
Montalbán played the charismatic Italian movie star Vittorio Vidal in Sweet Charity.
Following that role, Montalbán racked up countless movie and TV credits, including Escape From Planet of the Apes (1971), Fantasy Island (1977-1984), Star Trek ll: The Wrath of Khan (1982), The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988) and the Spy Kids franchise (2002 and 2003).
In 1944, the actor married Georgiana Young. The couple welcomed four children: Mark, Victor, Laura and Anita. Young died in 2007, per The New York Times.
Montalbán died in January 2009 at 88 years old.
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