Never has a choir of nuns performed in the flashy, sequin-filled limelight as in Drayton Entertainment’s uplifting musical Sister Act.
While the Broadway hit brilliantly showcases each individual performer’s voice and dancing skills, the unexpected “wow” is the seamless set transition from scene to scene.
The fast paced musical rarely, if ever, holds more than one scene in a row in each given location, yet the stage only went dark once for a more significant scene change near the beginning of the show.
Set designer Adam Koch brilliantly tranSports the audience from police station to church to nun’s rooms to the club across the street in such a way that the audience doesn’t realize the change is happening until it’s complete. He also masterfully transformed the main doors of the church into a confessional, leaving the audience wondering if it was a new backdrop or one they had already seen in a different way.
Sister Act, on stage at the Dunfield Theatre Cambridge, tells the story of Deloris Van Cartier (aka Sister Mary Clarence) who witnesses her gangster boyfriend Curtis shoot one of his cronies. The wannabe diva is put in protective custody at a convent by her old school chum, police officer Eddie Souther. The flashy singer must assimilate into the convent’s routine but that doesn’t stop her from bringing a new life to the church and her fellow nuns while learning more about herself along the way.
Those looking for an exact rendition of the 1992 blockbuster hit Sister Act will be disappointed by the deviations and creative changes taken to make the show a successful Broadway musical, but with an open mind, everyone will find inspiration in this amazing and unique show about true sisterhood.
Aurianna Angelique takes on the mammoth role of Deloris Van Cartier and she would have made Whoopi Goldberg proud. The powerhouse singer shows her vocal range and control in every scene, displaying no signs of stress or strain at any point during the performance. Angelique appears to simply open her mouth and produce beautiful music seemingly effortlessly.
In the first few scenes Angelique’s actions, mannerisms and tone seem contrived, overdone and quite frankly, annoying.
However, once foiled with the straight-faced Susan Gilmour as Mother Superior and the other nuns in the convent, Angelique’s portrayal becomes a unique and comedic performance – in stark contrast to the way the nuns spend their days.
In the second act Deloris experiences a life changing revelation and Angelique is able to portray the emotions through her body language, voice and facial expressions giving the audience a 180-degree change in the way Deloris carries herself.
Laura May Nason, who plays Sister Mary Robert, could have been Wendy Makkena from the 1992 Sister Act movie. Those familiar with the screen version had to do a double take to ensure they were not one and the same. Nason shows her acting talent by playing the meek quiet girl with a small voice who eventually finds her sound and blows everyone away with her power.
Gilmour offers an excellent portrayal of Mother Superior. However, as the comedic break, Gilmour impresses with her ability to keep a straight face when the convent nuns and clergy are causing shenanigans around her.
While Matthew G. Brown, who plays cop Eddie Souther, is not the strongest singer in the cast, he holds his own and has endearing numbers like I Could Be That Guy.
Movie fans will be surprised at the dynamic between Deloris and her old schoolmate.
Lee Siegel, who portrays Deloris’ gangster boyfriend, is a sleeper hit. Siegel’s face and expressions are too kind to realistically portray a stereotypical gangster; however his powerhouse voice makes up for appearance inconsistencies. Like Angelique, Siegel’s voice is effortlessly robust and leaves the audience craving more each time his spotlight is dimmed.
The real surprise was scene stealer David Lopez, who plays Curtis’ nephew TJ and spends the musical searching for Deloris with Pablo, played by Oscar Moreno, and Joey, played by Gerrad Everard. While Lopez’s role is rather minor each time he’s on stage his energy and ease draws the audience’s eye away from the other performers and has them in stitches of laughter on more than one occasion.
Director Mac Reimer and choreographer Lisa Stevens do a fabulous job of organizing a number of actors, using the whole stage and working in prop movement in a seamless and easy-to-miss way.
Lighting designer Kevin Fraser helps set the mood of each scene, taking the audience from the bright and warm church to the dank and dingy bar across the street.
Whether an avid Sister Act fan or a newbie to Deloris and her fellow nuns, all audience members will find awe and inspiration in this divine hit musical.
Sister Act is on stage at Dunfield Theatre Cambridge until Dec. 24.
Tickets are $44 for adults and $26 for youth under 20 years of age. Groups of 20 or more are $36. HST is applicable to all ticket prices.
Tickets may be purchased online at www.draytonentertainment.com, in person at any Drayton Entertainment box office, or by calling 519-621-8000 or toll free 1-855-DRAYTON (372-9866).
