Sister Act

Sister Act is a Tony nominated musical based on the 1992 film of the same name.  The musical debuted on London’s West End on June 2, 2009.  Two years later it opened on Broadway at the Broadway Theatre on April 20, 2011.  The stage musical was written by Bill and Cheri Steinkellner, lyrics by Glenn Slater, and music by Alan Menken.  Sister Act follows a lounge singer and rising music star in Las Vegas named Deloris who went into hiding from her boyfriend after she witnessed a murder he was involved in.  The detective she is working with places her in the Witness Protection Program and sends her to a convent.  She must live and acts like a nun.  Her new name is “Sister Mary Clarence”.  Throughout her weeks of hiding, she teaches the catholic choir of nuns how to sing and perform. She helps the convent stay afloat and avoid shut down.  In the end, her boyfriend gets caught with the help of her fellow sisters and after initially leaving the convent, Deloris returns to her role as Sister Mary Clarence to sing with the choir for the Pope. 

I had the pleasure of watching Texas State University’s production of Sister Act.  The production was Broadway level.  The storytelling was very effective.  The cast and crew put on a seamless show with contagious levels of energy and charisma.  Deloris performed most of the dance numbers. As she was teaching the other nuns, she would sing and dance.  The entire cast executed the technical dance moves with ease and grace, but their energy was the most fun part of the show.  The show’s message is relevant for college students as it illustrates how everyone has skills that can bring positive change and a path they may not even realize exists yet. Deloris never thought she would be teaching performance and music in a convent but fell in love with the connections she made while she was there.