Sister Act
It’s bright enough to make you think you’re seeing the Heavens, but I regret to inform theatergoers that it’s not the afterlife you’re witnessing – just the costumes from Sister Act. And this new musical, with a book by Cheri and Bill Steinkellner and music by Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater is not exactly a miracle. The latest motion picture to be adapted into a musical comedy, with additional script writing by the witty Douglas Carter Beane, Sister Act is pleasant but also commits one of the deadly sins of Broadway – it is predictable.Based on the film of the same name, which starred Whoopie Goldberg as a lounge singer forced into hiding after witnessing her boyfriend murder someone, this musical softens all the rough and gritty edges of the movie, and in doing so, loses much of the movie’s comedic aspects.Dolores Van Cartier, played with almost unearthly radiance by Patina Miller, is forced into witness protection after seeing her boyfriend Curtis (Kingsley Leggsshoot) someone. Eddie (Chester Gregory) the policeman assigned to her case, places her where Curtis would never find her – a convent. Dolores’ flashy personality and snappy humor make her a fish out of water until Mother Superior (Victoria Clark, sadly wasted in the role) assigns her to direct the convent’s fledgling choir. It is no surprise when Dolores inspires the nuns to musical success, and their new-found fame help to save the church from being sold to a pair of “bachelor antique dealers” (one of the more sly humorous references in the script).Curtis and his trio of goons eventually find Dolores, but it’s no surprise – or miracle – that everyone ends up safe and sound at the end. (The big chase scene is more slapstick than scary). The plot isn’t the reason to see Sister Act; it’s the songs that will bring people into the theater.The music is enjoyable and undoubtedly fun, but for the majority of the show, generic. The one standout number is “Raise Your Voice,” when Dolores teaches the choir to pour their hearts and souls into singing. Buoyant and irresistible, this song is a true showstopper. Other moments of wit include “When I Find My Baby,” when Curtis and his backup men spoof a smooth Motown love song as they fill it with violent thoughts. As Eddie, Gregory is forced to hide his superior dance skills except for a few moments in “I Could Be That Guy,” when he fantasizes about winning Dolores’ attention.As Dolores, Miller is outstanding. Even in the show’s more synthetic moments, her performance is brimming with sincerity and radiance. Her singing is beautiful and it’s easy to believe that she really could work miracles with a group of singers. Clark, an outstanding actress who won the Tony Award for The Light in the Piazza, capably does what she can with the role of Mother Superior but she isn’t given much to work with. Clark transforms “Haven’t Got a Prayer,” her Act Two lament about questioning her faith, into a sincerely emotional song (which it probably wasn’t before she got her hands on it). Sarah Bolt, Maria Mindelle and Audrie Neenan are all extremely sweet and funny as three of the nuns Dolores becomes close with.The sets, by Klara Zierglerova, are extremely impressive. The stage rapidly transforms from a street to a high-ceilinged church and then to a gritty police station in a matter of moments. Natasha Katz’s lighting is also tastefully executed.“Tasteful” is not a word that would be applied to the majority of the show; once the nuns begin performing the modern pop-style gospel songs, they don glittery robes and never seem to take them off. But even if the sparkle is gone once the curtain falls, the sweet, buoyant spirit of the show will remain with you long after you leave the theater.