Cavorting around the stage as Manhattan dance-hall hostess Charity Hope Valentine, actress Molly Ringwald is "getting a huge cardio workout" in the new touring production of the recent Broadway revival of "Sweet Charity."
"Physically, it's very demanding, but in a good way," Ringwald said by phone from Seattle. "I look at it as having free physical training every night."
Most people probably link Ringwald to her 1980s teen movie hits "Sixteen Candles," "The Breakfast Club" and "Pretty in Pink," but the actress has traveled the world playing adult roles during the two decades since then — including nearly six months in Salt Lake City in 1994, filming Stephen King TV miniseries "The Stand."
Ringwald said the role of Charity "was something I had always been interested in playing. I had a successful run in 'Cabaret,' and when that was done I was asked what I wanted to do."
"Sweet Charity" was in the process of being revived, "but I was pregnant with Mathilda — or maybe I had just had her — but I was not in great physical shape. When the national tour came along, the producers remembered and asked me."
Ringwald said the dancing is physically demanding for the entire ensemble, including an actor from Orem, Ben Cameron. In one scene, Cameron plays a waiter at the Pompeii Cafe where Charity is seated next to an Italian film star. "Cameron always tries to get me to laugh," she said.
Ringwald said she has found her first national touring production "a little bit challenging." "I've never been a light packer, and the others in the cast told me to be careful about packing. I thought I was packing light, but after a couple of stops, I found that that means you wear one or two outfits all the time — and no shopping!"
But the physical workout she gets almost daily (twice on days when there are matinees) is taking a toll. She's gone down one dress size so far, and the tour still has several months to go. She may have to go shopping yet.
Meanwhile, her daughter, Mathilda, who is with her, just turned 3. "She loves going on the tour. She's having lots of fun and we're finding different things for kids to do (along the tour route)."
If you go ...
What: "Sweet Charity"
Where: Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 South
When: Tuesday through Nov. 19
How much: $30-$57.50
Phone: 355-2787
Web : www.arttix.org
E-mail: ivan@desnews.com