Stage West’s production of Sister Act is based on the 1992 movie with Whoopi Goldberg and Maggie Smith. If you’ve seen the film, there are a few scenes that probably stick in your memory, mostly of Goldberg building friendship with the sisters. It’s what makes the entire narrative a lot of fun, when Deloris Van Cartier connects with the sisters, who are so different from her.
This stage production doesn’t include those scenes in a focused way, as the movie does, which takes away from the story. The basis of the story is still the same, with Deloris Van Cartier (Ocean Williams) a singer and performer who is put in witness protection after witnessing a mob murder. She is escaping from her boyfriend Curtis (Michael-Lamont Lytle) and his gang including his nephew TJ (Hal Wesley Rogers), Joey (Mike Melino), Ernie (Alex Smith), and Pablo (Nico Solarte). Doloris is usually at odds with Mother Superior (Colleen Winton) and builds a friendship with Sister Mary Roberts (Eva Petris), Sister Mary Patrick (Ashlie White) and Sister Mary Theresa (Rennie Wilkinson). All of the nuns eventually warm up to Deloris when she supports them to be better singers in the choir. There are other characters who round out the story, including Monsignor O’Hara (Grant Tilly), Sister Mary Lazarus (Katherine Fadum), Sister Mary Martin-of-Tours (Amanda Struthmann) and Eddie Souther (Kaden Brett Forsberg) the cop who gets Deloris in witness protection and still has feelings for her, having grown up together.
This production features a big cast of talented singers. Williams is a powerhouse voice and her acting skills are also polished. She carries the story deftly, but the narrative is crowded with musical numbers for minor characters. Sometimes they work, but most of the time they don’t. The songs don’t further develop the relationship between Deloris and the nuns, making the ending where they defend her fiercely, seem out of place. You can see how Deloris influences the choir and the nuns and how their music changes under her influence, how the community is strengthened by her presence, but you don’t get the trust building between her and the others.
The set is simple to allow for different locations, using panels and projection design to change the scenery. David Smith’s lighting design and Ben Toner’s stellar costume design bring out the fun in this production. There isn’t anything not to love about Rachelle Quinn’s hair and wig design.
This musical takes a great story and puts it on stage but it doesn’t carry the same emotional weight as the film’s narrative. Still, the songs and singing are powerful and Sister Act is an entertaining theatrical production.
Stage West’s production of Sister Act, with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Glenn Slater, book by Cheri Steinkellner & Bill Steinkellner and additional book material by Douglas Carter Beane, runs until February 1st. More information is available online.