“The quintessential Fosse femme fatale”...“Engrossing, heartbreaking and intense”...“A charismatic lead who can also convincingly seem like a nobody”...“Immensely talented, adorable, and definitely the star of the show”...“Smashing, very much like a young Sandy Duncan”...“A compelling comedian”...“such a cute, adorable and funny Charity, we are pulling for her from the get-go”.
Paige Davis took over the role of Charity Hope Valentine in the national touring production of Sweet Charity when the show hit San Antonio on June 19, 2007.
Davis succeeded Molly Ringwald, who ended her run June 17 in Nashville.
Davis performed in the show until Aug. 12, the last day of the run in Tempe, AZ — which was the show's last scheduled stop. Along the way, she also performed in Houston, Kansas City, Milwaukee and Dallas.
Davis is known as the Emmy-nominated host of The Learning Channel's series “Trading Spaces.” She has starred as Roxie Hart in Chicago on Broadway, and regionally she has been seen as Val in A Chorus Line, April in Company, Catherine in Pippin and Irene Malloy in Hello, Dolly!, among others.
The tour, which launched in September at San Diego's Civic Theatre, is based on the Walter Bobbie Broadway production that closed at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre Dec. 31, 2005. The show was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. The show has music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields and book by Neil Simon.
“Paige Davis shines as Broadway’s original good-time girl. While she’s still the bubbly girl we fell in love with on the hit television show ‘Trading Spaces’, Davis exhibits great acting, singing and dancing ability to the stage...Davis is the quintessential Fosse femme fatale. She is bright-eyed, long-legged and knows how to move. She understands what it takes to dance Fosse. She also has a keen insight into Charity’s lot in life.”
DALLAS NEWS-TELEGRAM
“Ms. Davis gives a marvelous performance as Charity. She is so endearing that you cannot help but fall in love with her. The perky thespian gives just the right amount of sexy sass, but never overplays the sexual overtones. A sweet soprano voice does fine with the various ballads and comic patter songs that the role carries. Her dance technique is clean and elegant. The girl has some gorgeous long stems that allow her to make her extensions and leaps across the stage look like a lithe gazelle. However, it is her acting technique and detail to the book scenes where Davis earns her gold stars of accomplishment. Her comic timing, pace, and delivery hit the mark each time she aims for the laughs. Her facial expressions wonderfully seal in the humor and comedy within her characterization. But it is her second act dramatic arc that is absolutely engrossing, heartbreaking, and intense to watch unfold on stage. There are no false tears here. She reveals in raw, naked honesty the emotional pain of once again losing in the game of love. You could hear a pin drop in the elephantine Music Hall as her sobs of loneliness and heartache echoed in the theater. Even as she tried to sing those final lyrics, you could hear her voice break. Ms. Davis' performance is the very reason why you should immediately purchase a ticket.”
TALKIN'BROADWAY REVIEWS
“Sweet Charity is a joyous star-vehicle that depends on a charismatic lead who can also convincingly seem like a nobody. That’s a harder task than it sounds. Shirley MacLaine was all wrong for the movie version. But Davis, who can high-kick with the best of them, has a gangly, goofy allure. You pull for her even when she’s behaving self-destructively because you want her to succeed. She’s the loveable loser, the loose woman who allows guys to walk over her until they leave her with nothing more than muddy footprints on her back. There are no doubt still women as victimized as Charity around today, although most of them have already been on ‘Jerry Springer’ and few have Davis’ gams.”
THE DALLAS VOICE
“This woman belongs on a stage. She is immensely talented, lovable, adorable and definitely the star of the show. In fact, this entire production is flawless. If you go to only one musical this year, let it be this one. Davis’ ability to act, sing and dance are extraordinary and Guy Adkins couldn’t have been more suited to his role as Oscar... Charity and Oscar were so candid, so real, so lovable that their destinies became our concerns.”
TIME OUT --MILWAUKEE
“Sweet Charity is the best of the old-fashioned song-and-dance shows that the Dallas Summer Musicals has imported this summer. It's colorful, exuberant, fresh and thoroughly drilled. Paige Davis of ‘Trading Spaces’ fame plays the title role. She looks smashing – very much like the young Sandy Duncan. She sings and dances and acts in admirable fashion, too...a lovely performance. If you have a taste for brassy music and dancers who strut their stuff, Sweet Charity should be right up your alley.”
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
“A must-see perfect night of musical theatre! Charity is played fabulously, with utmost sincerity by Paige Davis...Davis brings an effervescent and truly hopeful quality to her Charity Hope Valentine...Do yourself a favor and enjoy this ‘sweet’ treat!”
THEATERPORT.COM
“Forever seeing the sunny side of even the worst situation, Paige Davis beams through numbers like ‘If My Friends Could See Me Now’, and makes a compelling comedian throughout. At one point, Charity gets trapped in a movie star's closet, and Davis is hysterical as a girl caught in a compromising situation.”
THE HOUSTON PRESS
“Seducing the audience is an old and honored theater gambit. Being on the receiving end of the seduction can be wonderful. This is yours to experience courtesy of the national touring company of Sweet Charity that arrived Tuesday night. Paige Davis, as the title character, and the rest of the cast charm their way right into our hearts... Davis is such a cute, adorable and funny Charity, we are pulling for her from the get-go. Energy continuously sparks off of Davis, providing jet fuel for the show.”
MILWAUKEE JOURNAL-SENTINEL
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