Ariana DeBose to Star in Autumn Workshop for New Production of Neil Simon Musical Sweet Charity

Producers ATG Theatricals and a team of Broadway producers announced on August 5 that Ariana DeBose will star in an autumn workshop for a new stage production of the Neil Simon, Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields classic Sweet Charity. The project is being developed through a workshop format, a process commonly used in theater to test staging, timing, and performance choices before a full production is mounted.

According to the producers’ announcement, the workshop production will include all-new direction and choreography by Tony Award nominees Jeff and Rick Kuperman. The Kupermans’ involvement indicates a renewed creative approach for a title that has been revived multiple times since its original Broadway run.

Sweet Charity is built around the story of Charity Hope Valentine, a woman navigating romance and the rhythms of New York City entertainment life. The musical’s composer and lyricist team, Coleman and Fields, have long been associated with a mix of upbeat orchestration and character-driven storytelling, while playwright Neil Simon’s writing anchors the narrative structure that audiences associate with the property.

The producers list for the workshop includes Kristin Caskey, Mike Isaacson, Bee Carrozzini, and Kevin [last name not provided in the announcement summary], alongside ATG Theatricals. The announcement did not specify a venue, dates within the autumn season, casting for additional principal roles beyond DeBose, or the size of the workshop audience.

In theater industry practice, a workshop stage presentation can function as an early-to-mid development step. It typically allows creative teams to refine blocking, movement, and the integration of choreography with acting beats, while performers and designers can assess how material lands with audiences or with invited guests.

The announcement comes as DeBose continues to be a prominent Broadway and screen performer. For theater producers, attaching a high-profile star to a new development workshop can be a key step in attracting creative talent and securing attention from investors, presenters, and theatergoers when the project later moves from workshop into a more fully scheduled run.

Producers are expected to provide additional details as the autumn workshop approaches, including the location, further casting, and the scope of audience access. For now, the project’s publicly stated focus remains the creation of a new artistic version of Sweet Charity under direction and choreography by the Kupermans, with DeBose set to lead.