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“Sister Act” Closes The Muny’s 105th Season With Joyful Noise and a Big Bang
by Pat Lindsey
If you can only go to one Catholic mass this year, let it be this one. “Sister Act” will take you to heaven and fill you with love. It’s bright and lively and full of fun and laughter. It’s exactly what audiences are praying for as the finale to an outstanding summer of Muny magic.
With music by Tony and eight time Oscar-winner Alan Menken and lyrics by Glenn Slater, the show begins on a high note when we meet lounge singer, Deloris Van Cartier (Bryonha Marie), auditioning for a singing gig in Philadelphia. She and her two backup singers perform a rousing rendition of “Take Me to Heaven,” but her gangster boyfriend, Curtis (Alan H. Green), tells her she’s not ready for prime time. Before she’s able to pack up her disappointment and leave, Deloris witnesses Curtis killing one of his henchmen. Even though Deloris swears to him that she didn’t see anything, Curtis knows that he now has to kill her, too. The chase begins and Deloris runs to the police for protection.
The policeman on duty is Eddie Souther (James T. Lane) or “Sweaty Eddie” as Deloris used to call him in high school. He convinces her that she must be incognito for awhile, so he secures refuge for her in a convent. Deloris thinks that acting like a nun will be too much of a stretch for her, but when she hears how horrible the nuns sing, she knows she has her work cut out for her.
Mother Superior (Mamie Parris) is skeptical about having Deloris in the convent and she sings about it in, “I Haven’t Got a Prayer.” When she hears the harmonious chorus of nuns really singing for the first time, she has a change of heart. The ensemble numbers, “Raise Your Voice,” “Take Me to Heaven,” and “Sunday Morning Fever” highlight their harmonies. Sister Mary Robert (Meredith Aleigha Wells) received heartfelt applause when she sang “The Life I Never Led” from her wheelchair.
The giggly, happy-go-lucky Sister Mary Patrick is brilliantly played by Katy Geraghty and is featured in several ensemble numbers. Every nun and actor in this cast is a major contributor to creating the joyful noise that is “Sister Act.”
The sets and costumes in this show are fantastic. Kudos to Edward E. Haynes, Jr. and Leon Doblowski, respectively. When Eddie (Lane) sings “I Could Be That Guy,” the audience is treated to a surprise costume change. By the end of Act II, there is more glitz in the nuns’ habits than there was in the opening disco ball. “Sister Act” is directed and choreographed by Denis Jones, who has effectively spread a little Motown, disco, and soul throughout the show.
In the end, Deloris proves Curtis wrong. She is not only ready for prime time, but she and her fellow sisters are ready to perform for the Pope. Bryonha Marie as Deloris is truly a star. She is a joy to listen to as she brings life back into Queen of Angels Church, Monsignor O’Hara (Thom Sesma), and into the lives of everyone she meets. She plays her part true to the Whoopi Goldberg character of the original movie, but she’s even better.
“Sister Act” is the perfect ending to a perfectly wonderful summer season at The Muny. With this show and “Chess,” Artistic Director & Executive Producer Mike Isaacson has been able to draw significant parallels to St. Louis. In fact, every Muny show feels personal in some way. Maybe that’s why generations of families have been making it a “habit” to go to The Muny for 105 years.
“Sister Act” will be performed on The Muny stage nightly at 8:15 p.m. now through Sun., Aug. 20th. For tickets, go to muny.org or call 314-534-1111. It’s “Fabulous, Baby!”
