ARTS IN ACTION

Adelia Humme ‘15

Senior English Major

 

Sister Act Dazzles:
MSC OPAS brings singing nun musical to Rudder Auditorium

This story kicks off with an actual “bang”: Deloris Van Cartier, an aspiring singer, is forced into witness protection in Our Mother of Perpetual Faith convent after witnessing her boyfriend, mob boss Curtis Jackson, murder his henchman.  To the dismay of the stern but protective Mother Superior, the irreverent and opinionated Deloris (Kerissa Arrington) is far from inconspicuous; on her first night at the convent, Deloris sneaks out and nearly entangles herself and two young nuns in a barroom brawl.  Intent on keeping Deloris out of trouble, the Mother Superior (Maggie Clennon Reberg) assigns her to the choir, where Deloris promptly takes charge and transforms the nuns’ mousy murmurings into shouts of acclamation.  Here is where the show hits its stride, with Deloris’s powerhouse vocals breathing life into the choir during “Raise Your Voice.”  Deloris adapts one of her nightclub love songs (the show’s opening number, “Take Me to Heaven”) into the religious music for the choir, and the spectacle of the energetically dancing nuns begins to pack the pews at the previously declining church.

The key word for this musical is glitzy: by the finale, every surface – habits, coifs, even a statue of the Virgin Mary herself – is covered in glitter, thanks to Deloris’s dramatic flair.  Luckily the touching bond between Deloris and the nuns, who grow to love her so dearly that they defend her when Curtis invades the convent, is not masked by the sparkle.  If all the trappings were stripped away, this show would still have heart in abundance – the subject of “Sister Act” and its reprise.

The musical’s lowest point comes when three of Curtis’s minions plan to infiltrate the convent by seducing the nuns in “Lady in the Long Black Dress,” a cheesy tune that tries too hard to draw laughs with the character actors’ (F. Tyler Burnet, Nicholas Alexander Rodriguez, and Lawrence Dandridge) forced antics.  Fortunately Sister Act creates moments of genuine amusement, usually through Deloris’s clashes with convent customs, as in “It’s Good to Be a Nun,” the sisters’ tongue-in-cheek celebration of their reserved lifestyle.  Deloris’s former high school classmate, nicknamed “Sweaty Eddie” for his nerves, is now the policeman overseeing her protection, and his dream of becoming her knight in shining armor (“I Could Be That Guy”) features an instantaneous costume change and Eddie’s (Lamont O’Neal) endearingly goofy attempts at slick moves.  Aside from Deloris herself, whose self-assured presence and dynamic expression rock “Fabulous, Baby!”, the musical’s stand-out star is Sister Mary Robert (Emily Kay Shrader), the youngest nun.  Her strong vocals power “The Life I Never Led,” an ode to missed opportunities that prompts Deloris to gift her with a pair of sky-high suede boots.  The Mother Superior also has her moment, showcasing expressive – albeit not vocal – range in “Haven’t Got a Prayer,” an exasperated lament.

Although Sister Act’s score (with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Glenn Slater) is not particularly memorable, the characters are.  The audience roots for the teamwork of Deloris and her sisters as they draw much-needed attention to the convent, raising funds for renovations and earning a performance before the pope himself.  Of course there’s a happy ending that grants Eddie his chance to be a hero and eliminates the threat of Curtis and his henchmen (whose “When I Find My Baby” expertly juxtaposes a cheery melody and love-struck attitude with murderous lyrics).  Both Deloris and the Mother Superior learn lessons in cooperation, charity, and loyalty, and their bickering eventually gives way to harmony – in more ways than one.

Sister Act was performed on November 5th, 2014, at 7:30 p.m.

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