Sister Act

        Full Disclosure: Sister Act starring Whoopi Goldberg is one of my all time favorite movies. It's one of those movies that makes me laugh every time I watch it, and fills me with great joy. I have been waiting for Delores Van Cartier to find her way to the stage since I first saw the movie in theaters in 1992. Needless to say, my expectations were high going in.

        There are a few things that any Sister Act fan should know before seeing the musical. It's the same basic plot Singer loves married man, singer witness lover murdering somebody, singer hides with sisters and makes inner discoveries about herself. The details of all that are very different however.

      Delores Van Cartier is a young aspiring singer in the Philadelphia area (versus an older, nearly past her prime lounge singer). The score is original, so don't expect to hear "My God" or any of the other songs from the film. Alan Menken and Glen Slater have actually written a wonderful new score with catchy tunes that feel familiar minutes after hearing them.

       Book writers Cherri Steinkellner and Bill Steinkellner with additional book material by Douglas Carter Beane have written a pretty good script to go along with the wonderful score. At times, the humor feels a little too much like an early 90's sitcom than the book to a Broadway show, and that can be a bit laborious at times, but for the most part it's a lot of fun.

      I did not see the original Broadway Cast of Sister Act, Raven Symone as Delores is hit or miss. She hits the vocals pretty much right on, though at times her voice is a bit too thin for the role. The acting is where she misses. While Raven is an excellent comedienne and has a certain star quality on screen that makes her shine, that light doesn't exactly fill the Broadway Theater. In the more comedic moments and during the songs she is at her best, it's the scenes that are more character driven or story driven that she struggles.

     Carolee Carmello is doing her best as The Mother Superior. The role is admittedly underwritten,  but Ms. Carmello, the consummate professional, makes it seem like Shakespeare. The rest of the cast is delightful, Sarah Bolt as Sister Mary Patrick, Marla Mindelle as Sister Mary Robert, and Audree Neenan as Sister Mary Lazarus recall the actresses who played their roles in the films without being carbon copies of them.

     Jerry Zaks has put his signature slick sheen on this production, and everything flows seamlessly from one thing to the next. Anthony Van Laasts choreography is perfect for the production. Set design by Klara Zieglerova is functional, and at times opulent, and as always Natasha Katz lighting is superb. Lez Brotherstons costume designs do the job, but lets face it, they're pretty much 70's clothes and nun habits.

    It's easy to enjoy this version of Sister Act those like me who enjoyed the film just have to put that out of our minds and accept this new version of the story. Those who have not ever seen the film, or perhaps aren't as familiar with have rollicking good time.

      Sister Act plays at The Broadway Theater until Sunday August 26th. There are rush tickets available at the box office on the day of performance, but you should line up at least 1 hour before the box office opens if you hope to get one of these seats. The show is also usually available on TKTS.