Catholics can take cue from Sister Act The Musical

SINGAPORE — American theater actress Rebecca Mason-Wygal is not even Catholic; she claims to be a “generic Christian.”

But since joining the Broadway-caliber cast of the international Asian tour of the musical Sister Act and stepping into the role of the uptight Mother Superior (originated by Dame Maggie Smith in the 1992 hit comedy film starring Whoopi Goldberg), Mason-Sygal gets to appreciate the staid life of a nun.

“I’m not a Catholic so this is all new to me,” Mason-Wygal confessed before a group of journalists, The Philippine STAR included, who were invited by Ovation Productions to experience the smart and hilarious, feel-good musical before it hits Manila starting June 27 for a two-week limited run at The Theatre of Solaire in Parañaque City.

“During my research, I read a book about a woman who joined the novitiate and I learned that nuns are busy all the time. They have to wake up at the crack of the dawn, they have work to do like making their own food and praying,” she shared. “They look very serene and reserved people, but they are very busy.”

The Molly Shannon doppleganger, who wows theatergoers night after night with her incredible pipes and high vocal range as the Mother Superior (her magnificent and flawless rendition of Haven’t Got A Prayer is a showstopper), takes pride in celebrating God and faith. This is something she hopes the people, regardless of religious denomination, would imbibe and bring with them when they leave the theater.

In the musical set in the late 1970s Philadelphia, Mason-Wygal’s Mother Superior is old-school and does not favor any sort of change until Deloris, a sassy lounge singer and Donna Summer wannabe (played by award-winning international opera singer Dene Hill) was put into protective custody in the convent after witnessing a mob murder. Disguised as Sister Mary Clarence, Deloris upends the quiet lives of resident nuns and turns the convent’s awful choir into a vibrant and soulful act that translates into increased church attendance, monetary donations and widespread attention including the Pope’s, and eventually saves the church and convent from being shut down.

Mason-Wygal talked about Deloris’ amazing feat of bringing in renewed “enthusiasm and energy” into church through jubilant liturgical music and singing passionately for the Lord, among other things, that beckon devotees and coax others to stay in the flock.

“The Church has sort of become a very serious place and it’s not really keeping up with the youth culture,” Mason-Sygal said on the “exodus” of Catholics. “What I like about our show is that it refreshes that feeling and that energy and the focus is still about God, about faith and spirituality. It just brightens the whole idea. What Deloris does in our convent is like breathe life into it without taking any of it away, without taking God out of it, without taking faith out of it. She only makes going to church exciting again.”

Mason-Wygal’s remark is spot on. Pope Francis himself, addressing the 2013 World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, questioned the relevance of the church nowadays. “Are we still a church capable of warming hearts?” the Pope asked, acknowledging that many see the church as a “relic of the past.” While he said the church “must remain faithful to its religious doctrine, it had to be closer to the people and their real problems.”

“So, if we’re losing ground on people of faith, I think it may just be a lack of excitement that can easily be put back and we just need somebody to do it,” Mason-Wygal said.

The actress expressed hope that Filipino Catholics would embrace the inspiring message of the musical and not view it as offensive.

“In my opinion, (Sister Act) is very family friendly and not controversial,” she said, carefully choosing her words. “I’m a non-Catholic but I do think it’s universal and you’ll get the message clearly, especially the jokes.”

Mason-Wygal is also excited about the show’s astounding music by multiple Oscar and Grammy-winning composer Alan Menken, one of the most prolific and celebrated composers of all time noted for scoring a number of beloved Disney features like Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid and Aladdin.

Although the stage adaptation of Sister Act excluded the already-familiar pop songs like I Will Follow You and My Guy, the musical’s exhilarating charm stays intact with a new delightful score from Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater.

“Mamma Mia is a jukebox musical in that you know all the songs before you come to the show,” Mason-Wygal explained. “Sister Act is different in that all songs should be new to you and to the audience. To me, that’s much more exciting.”

She continued: “It’s fun to know the words of songs, but I like to go to the theater and see something new. As a singer and actress, it’s much more exciting to me to see and hear new music and fall in love with it freshly. And getting to sing Alan Menken’s compositions is a tremendous privilege.”

For details of Sister Act’s Manila run, visit ticketworld.com.ph.