Sister Act (musical)
Sister Act is a musical based on the hit 1992 film of the same name with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Glenn Slater, book by Bill and Cheri Steinkellner, and additional material by Douglas Carter Beane. After having a regional premiere in 2006 in Pasadena, California,[1] the original West End production opened on June 2, 2009, at the London Palladium, starring Patina Miller and produced by Stage Entertainment and Whoopi Goldberg.[2] Subsequent productions have been seen on Broadway and in many countries around the world.
Sister Act
October 24, 2006: Pasadena Playhouse
Productions[edit]
Original productions in Pasadena and Atlanta[edit]
The musical premiered at the Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena, California on October 24, 2006, and closed on December 23, 2006.[1] It broke records, grossing $1,085,929 to become the highest grossing show ever at the venue.[3] Patina Miller, who would later go on to play Deloris when the show opened in London, was in the ensemble and understudied the role of Deloris, which was originated in the musical by Dawnn Lewis.[4]
The musical was directed by Peter Schneider, developed by Schneider and Michael Reno,[5] choreographed by Marguerite Derricks, with set design by David Potts, costumes by Garry Lennon, lighting by Donald Holder, and sound by Carl Casella and Dominick Sack.[6]
Charles McNulty of the Los Angeles Times wrote that the musical has "Broadway blockbuster written all over it," and Laurence Vittes described it as "hugely entertaining... likely to become a classic" in The Hollywood Reporter. Jonas Schwartz of Theatremania.com was less enthusiastic, saying it "suffers from a bit of an identity crisis."[7]
The production then moved to the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, where it ran from January 17 to February 25, 2007. The cast included Dawnn Lewis as Deloris, Elizabeth Ward Land as the Mother Superior, Harrison White as Curtis, and Beth Malone as Sister Mary Robert.[8]
Curt Holman, writing for the Atlanta-based website CreativeLoafing.com, described it as "a whiplash-inducing experience of genuinely clever and exuberant flourishes alternating with cringe-inducing embarrassments.... The weakest parts of Sister Act tend to be the most faithful moments to the film, which makes you wonder what Menken, Slater and the production's delightful design team could have done with original material."[9]
Critical response[edit]
West End[edit]
Critical opinion of the West End production has been mixed. Ian Shuttleworth of the Financial Times thought although the plot is filled with "great holes," "It's not a brainless show; Glenn Slater's lyrics are often enjoyably sharp. It's just that whenever the choice arises between creative and commercial, commercial wins out every time."[47]
Charles Spencer in The Telegraph wrote Sister Act "proves more enjoyable on stage than it did on film" and "the cheers and standing ovation at the end were both genuine and deserved." He added, "The book, by Cheers writers Cheri and Bill Steinkellner, is strong, funny and touching. And the disco-inspired score by Disney favourite Alan Menken, with neat lyrics by Glenn Slater, is a cracker. Frankly, what's not to like, especially when you've got a chorus line of jiving nuns singing their hearts out ecstatically?"[48]
While Michael Billington of The Guardian thought Alan Menken's music "has a pounding effectiveness," he rated the musical only two out of five stars, calling it "noisily aggressive" and "a show that feels less like a personally driven work of art than a commercial exploitation of an existing franchise." He continued, "What was originally a fairytale fantasy . . . makes little sense in its new, vulgarised incarnation. In the movie, the music arose naturally from the story: there was even a certain wit about seeing a group of wimpled warblers turned into a cohesive unit. But here, long before the heroine has got to work on their larynxes, they are leaping about the stage like showbiz pros telling us How I Got the Calling. In order to pad out a slight story, every key member of the cast also has to be given a number. As a result, the plot grinds to a halt while we hear about the macho fantasies of a sweaty cop, or the hoodlums weary us with their own wet dreams."[49]
In the Evening Standard, Fiona Mountford rated it four out of five stars and stated, "Whether or not divine intervention is involved, it's a wimple-wibbling, habit-forming triumph."[50]
The Times critic, Benedict Nightingale rated the show three out of five stars, observing that "a rather sweet, sentimental film has been hyped up, coarsened, given what — were the Palladium flown to Times Square — we'd call the big, brash Broadway treatment . . . There's less deft comedy, but much more music, most of it indebted to the 1970s, where the action is now set. That lets Alan Menken, the composer, have a lot of catchy fun with period rock and disco."[51]
David Benedict of Variety cited its "slow start" and "clunky storytelling" but thought "the cumulative effect is shamelessly and irresistibly entertaining."[52]
Broadway[edit]
The Broadway production received mostly positive reviews.[53]
Mark Kennedy of The Associated Press wrote in his review, "This is a musical that hits all the right spots, achieving something close to Broadway grace. It helps that the musical has great original tunes by songwriter Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater that skitters from Motown, to soul and funk, to disco and even a little jokey Barry White. Menken and Slater, who also teamed up for The Little Mermaid, know perfectly how to switch up the mood and tempo.[54]
Elysa Gardner of USA Today gave the show three and a half out of four stars and said, "Sister Act: A Divine Musical Comedy may be less giddily profane, and thought-provoking, than The Book of Mormon, but it has its own distinct and surprising charms. Composer Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater provide original tunes that nod cheekily, but with genuine affection, to that pop era while also propelling the story with a style and exuberance specific to well-crafted musical theater."[55]
Elisabeth Vincentelli of the New York Post also gave the show three and a half out of four stars and wrote, "Big, glitzy numbers are the toast of Broadway musicals. The only thing better? Big, glitzy numbers . . . with nuns! "Sister Act" has plenty of both—and it's one of the season's happiest surprises.
Menken evokes the lush, funky sound of Philly soul without falling into mere pastiche: "When I Find My Baby" starts off like bedroom R&B before the lyrics take a hilarious turn. "Take Me to Heaven" and "Spread the Love Around" bloom into full-throttle disco epics, the latter building up to an ecstatic finale.[56]
Thom Geier of Entertainment Weekly gave the show a "B+" and wrote, "It's been a season of ill-conceived or just plain disappointing stage musicals based on movies...Who'd have guessed that the latest iteration of Broadway's recycling trend, Sister Act...would be such a lark? It helps that the show boasts a genuine star turn by newcomer Patina Miller as aspiring singer Deloris Van Cartier. While Sister Act relies on all-new music, thankfully the score is by gifted tunesmith Alan Menken (Little Shop of Horrors, Beauty and the Beast) and his longtime lyricist, Glenn Slater. There are some real melodic standouts here, boosted by the decision to re-set the show in 1977 Philadelphia."[57]
Charles Isherwood of the New York Times gave the show a mixed review and wrote, "I wish I could report that the singing nuns from the Church of Philly Soul are giving those perky Mormons in Africa a run for their money in the unholy hilarity department. But when the jubilant choral numbers subside, as inevitably they must, "Sister Act" slumps back into bland musical-theater grooves and mostly lacks the light of invigorating inspiration. Mr. Menken, who wrote the lustrous period-pop score for "Little Shop of Horrors" (with the lyricist Howard Ashman), is a skillful interpreter of the Philadelphia sound." He did, however, praise Miller's performance, writing she "has a radiant presence and a strong voice with a tangy timbre. As Deloris Van Cartier, a would-be disco diva in 1970s Philly who goes on the lam when the bullets start flying, she truly comes into her own when Deloris sheds her purse full of wisecracks.[58]
Steven Suskin of Variety gave the show an unfavorable review: "New tuner has various assets that place it comfortably in the feel-good entertainment category, and might have launched it to the top last season or even three months ago. But timing is everything. "Sister Act" comes in on the heels of a handful of musicals, including another disco-beat film adaptation (Priscilla Queen of the Desert), and comparisons are not favorable. The Broadway version of 'Sister Act' is glossy, but seems like a worn set of tires repatched too often."[59]
Sister Act Nun Run[edit]
The Sister Act Nuns Run was first held in May 2009, just before the opening of the West End musical. When the team from Sister Act got together with the team from Barnardos it was decided a Nun Run would be a great way to promote the new musical as well as raise money for a great cause.
Despite it being a brand new charity run, almost 1000 people got dressed up as nuns to run the streets of London, and altogether they raised over £30,000, and on the back of its success it was decided that this 4 mile run was to be an annual event.
In late 2009 it was announced that the 2010 run was again to take place in May, but this time taking a different route, passing some of London's greatest landmarks such as The Tower of London, Tate Modern, and St. Paul's Cathedral.
To link the run with Sister Act the Musical (other than the fact everyone is dressed as nuns), some of the cast as well as Barnardo's Children's Choir give performances at the start line. This not only helps to fuse the link between Barnardo's and the show, but makes it a fun event, as it is designed as a charity event rather than for competitive runners.
The 2010 run sets this as an annual event which the organizers hope will grow year after year.[64]
The 2011 run took place in September 2011 to coincide with the UK national tour.[65]