Sister Act: Funny, feel good

If you are an avid musical theater fan, and go for the kind that is truly enjoyable, funny and “feel good,” you should not miss Sister Act, the blissfully silly, heavenly hit and much-acclaimed Broadway musical comedy that is set to premiere on June 27 at The Theatre of Solaire in Parañaque City. The show opens its two-week Philippine run ending on July 9 with no extension as part of the American production’s Asian tour for 2017.

Based on the 1992 hit comedy movie of the same title starring Whoopi Goldberg, Sister Act is expected to lure big crowds of theater-goers during its limited play dates here, where the original film version also scored a box-office success 25 years ago.

The play will definitely sweep the audience off its feet with exhilarating song numbers — from disco and soul beats of the ’70s to gospel tunes and joyous choruses —  and hilarious scenes as it follows for two-and-a-half hours the funny adventures of Deloris Van Cartier, a Vegas wannabe diva whose life takes a surprising turn when she witnesses a crime and the police hide her in the last place anyone would think to look — a convent.

Under the suspicious watch of Mother Superior, Deloris helps her fellow sisters find their voices as she unexpectedly re-discovers her own.

How Deloris transforms and brings positive change to the convent is told through original music and score with a big Broadway sound written by eigth-time Oscar winner Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Little Shop of Horrors), with lyrics by Glenn Slater. The story was written by Bill and Cheri Steinkellner with additional book material by Douglas Carter Beane.

The cast of Sister Act is headed by Dene Hill as Deloris Van Cartier.  An award-winning international opera singer who co-starred recently in the PBS docu-drama, A Time for Greatness, Dene has to her international musical theater credit the international opera tour of Porgy and Bess, Civil War, the New York off-Broadway premiere of The Butterfly’s Day, with additional musical credits in Dreamgirls, Footloose, Hairspray and Hair.  Her opera credits include Le Boheme and Don Giovanni.

Also performing important roles are Rebecca Mason-Wygal (as Mother Superior), Will Travis (Eddie Souther), Brandon Godfrey (Curtis Jackson), Moses Bernal (Pablo), Emma Brook (Mary Patrick), Nancy Evans (Sister Mary Lazarus), Sophie Kim (Sister Mary Robert), Harry McEnerny (Joey Finnochio) and Kevin O’Neil (Monsignor O’Hara).

The American production of Sister Act is produced by Whoopi Goldberg with music by Alan Menken and directed by Jerry Zaks.

Sister Act had its world premiere at the Pasadena Playhouse in the Fall of 2006, followed by a production at Alliance Theatre in Atlanta on the Winter of 2007. The West End production began previews at the Palladium Theatre in London on May 7, 2009, while the Broadway production began preview performances on March 24, 2011 and officially opened on April 20, 2011.

The musical received five Tony Awards nominations in 2011: Best Musical, Best Original Score (Alan Menken-music/Glenn Slater-lyrics), Best Book of a Musical (Cheri and Bill and Douglas), Best Actress in a Musical (Patricia Miller) and Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Victoria Clark).

It was also nominated for four Olivier Awards in 2010, including Best Musical.

It is Ovation Productions’ second Broadway musical presentation, with Disney’s Beauty and the Beast two years ago at the Cultural Center of the Philippines as its first.

Tickets, available online at www.ticketworld or call 981-9999, are priced at P6,500, P5,500, P4,500, P3,500 and P1,500.