THEATRE REVIEW: "Sister Act:" at the Auditorium Theatre (Chicago, IL)

     On November 13th, 2012, I saw the Alan Menken / Glenn Slater musical "Sister Act" when the First National Tour played a three-week engagement at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, IL.  The Broadway Production received a Tony Award nomination for Best Musical in 2011, but lost to "The Book of Mormon."  In fact, the Broadway Production of "Sister Act" was nominated for five 2011 Tony Awards, but didn't win in any category.  






     This production of "Sister Act" starred Ta Rea Campbell as Deloris van Cartier and Hollis Resnik as Mother Superior.  The cast of this production also included Kingsley Leggs, Lael Van Keuren, Richard Pruitt, E. Clayton Cornelious, Florrie Bagel, Diane J. Findlay, Todd A. Herman, and Ernie Pruneda.  The production featured scenic design by Klara Zieglerova.  Some of the scenery from the Broadway Production was modified for the National Tour.   I guess it's because I saw the tour on its first night in Chicago that the scenery didn't do what it was supposed to do (on one occasion).  










      Prior to "Sister Act,"  the last show I saw at the Auditorium Tbeatre was "Fiddler on the Roof," where I kept shushing someone for talking.  Prior to that,  I hadn't seen a musical at that venue since seeing "Les Misérables" in the early 1990's.  That was before the restoration of the Cadillac Palace Theatre and Oriental Theatre (now the Nederlander Theatre) was completed in 1998 and 1999.  I still love seeing shows at the Auditorium Theatre.  Anyway,  I was so used to hearing Patina Miller sing the songs from the Original Cast Recording of "Sister Act."  But Ta'Rea Campbell and the entire tour cast did a great job.  




Ta'Rea Campbell as Deloris van Cartier (photo by Joan Marcus).




      The only English-speaking cast recording of "Sister Act: the musical" is the Original London Cast Recording.  The 2009 London Production of the musical, which premiered a year or so before the Broadway Production (2011) and then the National Tour (2012) has slightly different songs and lyrics.  For example, the Cast recording begins with Mother Superior praying for salvation for her church, which leads to a sudden transition to the song "Take Me to Heaven," sung by Deloris Van Cartier and two backup singers in 1970's Philadelphia.  In the Touring production, as well as in the Broadway Production, the show starts without Mother Superior's intro, but rather goes directly into the song "Take Me to Heaven."  Also, instead of the song "How I got the Calling,"  the American productions featured the song "It's Good to be a Nun."  The song "Do the Sacred Mass" was cut altogether from the Broadway Production and the tour.  The song "Haven't Got A Prayer" was added to the score when the musical moved "across the pond."  










     Those are the only alterations I can remember.  I have no idea what form the music and lyrics were in when the 2006 World Premiere Production opened at the Pasadena Playhouse, nor the 2007 Alliance Theatre Production in Atlanta, which was one step closer to the big West End premiere.  Dawnn Lewis played the part of Deloris in the Pasadena Playhouse production, while Patina Miller understudied the part.  "Sister Act: the musical" didn't win any Tony Awards, but maybe they snagged an Olivier Award.  





"Raise Your Voice" (photo by Joan Marcus).





    International productions of "Sister Act the musical," produced by Stage Entertainment, opened in Germany, The Netherlands, Italy, France (the French Cast Recording of the musical is one of my favorite recordings of "Sister Act"), and Spain beginning in 2010.  The First National Tour (the production I saw) was produced by Stage Entertainment as well as Troika Entertainment.  Since the legitimate productions closed, regional productions popped up here and there and enjoyed success.  But don't quote me on that--just see show if you get the chance. 










Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THEATRE REVIEW: "Stranger Things: the First Shadow" at the Marquis Theatre (New York, NY)

Image
       On the moderately warm afternoon of July 2nd, 2025, I saw a performance of the jaw-dropping Broadway spectacle "Stranger Things: the First Shadow" at the Marquis Theatre in New York City.  I won the ticket lottery for the performance the day before, and it became the perfect 40th Birthday present from my mom.  By that, I don't mean I received 40 gifts.  I mean that the present was in honor of me turning 40.  Incidentally, I've probably received far more than 40 gifts...    "Stranger Things: the First Shadow" is a prequel of the Netflix show "Stranger Things."  It takes place in 1959 in Hawkins, Indiana when a young Henry Creel and his family move there for a fresh start.  It doesn't take long before things go wrong.  This is a play full of amazing set designs and visual effects.  There are also frightening moments along with funny ones (occasional sad moments, too).         At the perfo...
Read more

THEATRE REVIEW: "Oh, Mary!" at the Lyceum Theatre (New York, NY)

Image
     On October 5th, 2025, Kathryn and I saw the matinee performance of the Cole Escola play "Oh, Mary!" at the Lyceum Theatre in New York City.  The play, while a comedy, is about a stifled Mary Todd Lincoln during the weeks leading up to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.  The production opened July 11th, 2024 after beginning previews on June 26th.  One synopsis of the play described it as being told through "the lens of an idiot."  Yet it's been one of the hottest tickets on Broadway for months now.  Kathryn and I were thrilled to finally see the play.      At the performance of "Oh, Mary!" that Kathryn and I saw, the cast included Hannah Solow (Mary Todd Lincoln), Jenn Harris (Mary's Chaperone/Bill), Phillip James Brannon (Abraham Lincoln, or "Mary's Husband" as credited in the Playbill), Martin Landry (Mary's Husband's Assistant/Kyle), and James Scully (Mary's Teacher).  The cast was amazing.  The entire show was e...
Read more

THEATRE REVIEW: "Beetlejuice" at the Palace Theatre (New York, NY)

Image
      On the afternoon of Saturday, November 1st, 2025, I saw a performance of the musical comedy "Beetlejuice" at the Palace Theatre in New York City.  While I first heard of this musical in 2018, when it had its World Premiere Engagement in Washington D.C., finally seeing it felt like seeing a brand new show.  However, this was the third time "Beetlejuice" was performing on Broadway.  While the first two times were official Broadway Productions of the show, the production I saw at the Palace Theatre was technically the North American Tour, and New York City was the tour's final stop.  After the tour closes in early January of 2026, the next big production of the show will be in the West End, also in 2026.        Before seeing "Beetlejuice," I felt a sense of trepidation because I heard the humor in the show was pretty inappropriate at times.  The most inappropriate musicals I had seen prior to "Beetlejuice" were "Silence...
Read more