By Joseph McDonough
Enquirer contributor

Charity Hope Valentine says she's just "a girl who wants to be loved."

And the New York City dance hall hostess tries her sweet heart out as she goes through a series of Mr. Wrongs in Northern Kentucky University's production of the '60s musical Sweet Charity.

Sweet Charity has music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, a book by Neil Simon, and it is all loosely based on Federico Fellini's film Nights of Cabiria.

It's not a great musical. The script is dated (all of Charity's problems will be solved if she could just get married), and the plot often feels like a series of skits. But director Mark Hardy has instilled a quick pace and a sense of fun in his cast of 26, and they come up with a winning production.

Central to the success of Sweet Charity is the casting of the title role, around whom all the action revolves. In Bridget Conforti, NKU has the right actor to showcase.

With a sincere smile, thick New York accent and an occasional high leg kick, Conforti struts her stuff around the stage, singing with the ditsy hopefulness and old-fashioned sexiness of Charity. It's a knockout performance from the show's signature song, "If My Friends Could See Me Now," to the big second-act showstopper, "I'm a Brass Band."

And Conforti has solid support - the best ensemble work I've seen at NKU in some time.

With broad comic strokes, the cast and Hardy keep the show's heart without taking the silly story too seriously.

They especially enjoy making gentle fun of the '60s-era clothes, attitudes and music in the show.

"The Rich Man's Frug" becomes a sort of Bob Fosse-meets-Austin Powers dance number that is fun to watch.

Among the supporting cast, Joanne R. Becker and Jennifer Myers make a fine pair as Charity's worldly floozy sidekicks. They sing a sweet duet in "Baby Dream Your Dream," particularly at the end when the song briefly turns reflective.

Andrew J. Bernhard is a suitably suave Italian movie star whom Charity falls for. John West is funny as another suitor, neurotic Oscar who gets stuck in an elevator with Charity.

Ronald Shaw has designed the many inventive set pieces that fly on and off the stage in front of an outlined New York skyline.

Gretchen Vaughn's many costumes range from fashionable Manhattan chic to flower-power hippie wear.

Sweet Charity, through Sunday, Northern Kentucky University, (859) 572-5464.