A DIRECTORIAL SHIFT FOR CLO’S ‘SWEET CHARITY’

When the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera placed its ads announcing the 1985 summer season, two names were prominently featured for “Sweet Charity” (opening July 16): Debbie Allen as star and Bob Fosse as director.

Allen, whose following and reputation emanate chiefly from her appearance in the TV series “Fame,” seems a noteworthy choice for Neil Simon’s hard-luck dance hall girl. But it’s safe to say that Fosse’s name is at least an equal draw, since he was there at the show’s Broadway beginning (when his then-wife, Gwen Verdon, starred). Even if he weren’t there then, he’s still one of the theater’s top choreographer-directors; subscribers would still have signed up.

As it turns out, Fosse is not directing. John Bowab is. Fosse is billed as “production supervisor.” What that means specifically the Civic Light Opera won’t say, nor will anyone comment on when the change was made. Some people who should know about it apparently don’t, such as the show’s Los Angeles publicist, and Stan Seiden, president of the Nederlander Organization, who said: “It’s news to me. But remember, it’s a Civic Light Opera production. We only have some money in it.”

James Nederlander will co-produce the production (Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields did the music and lyrics) in its Broadway opening this fall with Coleman and Joseph P. Harris, who is also serving as general manager. Harris’ secretary routed inquiries to company manager Steve David, who said, “I just came on last week, and don’t know when the change was made.”

Also kept in the dark, of course, has been the CLO subscriber.

Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy will bring “Foxfire” to the CTG/Ahmanson for the play’s West Coast premiere Nov. 22. Written by Cronyn and novelist Susan Cooper, it deals with the 63-year-old relationship of an Appalachian mountain couple, and earned Tandy her third Tony Award.

William Inge’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “Picnic,” opening April 4, will also be part of the Ahmanson’s new season. Gregory Harrison will be featured as the drifter who makes a few hot midsummer days in Kansas hotter.

The remaining two productions for the season, the Ahmanson’s 19th, have not yet been determined.

In case you hadn’t heard, John Houseman makes his directorial debut at the Old Globe this summer (July 25) with “Richard III.” Paxton Whitehead will be featured in the title role. Tom Moore directs Noel Coward’s “Fallen Angels,” which begins June 12.

Somehow this story could only happen in Los Angeles: Actor, playwright, artist, journalist--and man of parts--Michael Glass, who lists in his credits a chess match with Man Ray (without saying who won), recently pitched Scott Kelman, artistic director of the Pipeline production company, with an idea for a 19-character play about cocaine and Hollywood, called “We Never Went to the Moon.” So taken with the pitch was Kelman that he’s having Glass include it in a script-in-hand performance of all 19 characters in a new series beginning June 14, called “Performing Playwrights.”

Notes Pipeline in a press release: “With the advent of this new performance format, Pipeline is now able to produce epics with casts of thousands for under a hundred dollars and is searching for talented, daring playwrights with a strong desire to see their plays done their way.” Look out!

LATE CUES: Jerry Stahl and Stephen Sayadian’s “Jackie Charge,” a black comedy in which cultism dovetails with our increasingly voyeuristic society, opens Friday at the Gene Dynarski Theater.