Sister Act Sets Pasadena Playhouse Record

The Pasadena Playhouse has announced that Sister Act the Musical's tickets sales have set a theatre record, surpassing their last record set by August Wilson's Fences, which starred Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett.

Sister Act's sales figures reached $1,085,929 as of December 7, 2006, which broke Fence's record of $1,062,801, and will continue to grow as the musical runs for an additional three weeks in Pasadena.

Directed by Peter Schneider, Sister Act has music by stage and film composer Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Little Shop of Horrors) and stars Dawnn Lewis and Elizabeth Ward Land (The Scarlet Pimpernel, City of Angels).

"A brand new, live stage version of the much-loved movie hit, Sister Act the Musical follows the hysterical adventures of sassy disco diva-in waiting, Deloris Van Cartier.  Set in the funkadelic, mirror ball heydays of the1970s, our story opens with a discontented Deloris trying, yet again, to turn-the-beat-around at one of Philly's C-list nightclubs.  After the last show, she inadvertently witnesses a gangsta murder by her Daddy-Mack boyfriend, Curtis Shank, and is forced to pack up her platform shoes and head out on the lam.  Narrowly escaping the gang's clutches, Deloris high tails it to the police, who immediately place her in a witness protection program – as a nun.

"Now it's the Sisters who need protection.  Holed up at the down-and-out Holy Order of the Little Sisters of Our Mother of Perpetual Faith, Deloris  (disguised as Sister Mary Clarence) immediately engages in a war of wills with the stern, no-nonsense Mother Superior.  When ordered to join the choir, Deloris's God-given talents take center stage and in no time, the shy and cloistered sisters are heating up and boogying down in full-blown Sunday Morning Fever. To everyone's surprise, the reluctant nun and her cohorts create a musical sensation in the community, attracting the attention of not only the media, but the Pope himself," state notes.

Sister Act is co-produced by ALLIANCE THEATRE, and includes Marguerite Derricks (Choreographer), Michael Kosarin (Music Supervision/Vocal and Incidental Music Arrangements), Michael Reno (Creative Supervisor), Carl Casella (Sound Design), Domonic Sack (Sound Design), Doug Besterman (Orchestrations), Brent-Alan Huffman (Music Director), Andrew Barett (Electronic Music Design), Mark Hummel (Dance Music Arrangements), Michael Donovan (Casting), Michelle Elkin (Associate Choreographer), Carol F. Doran (Wig and Hair Designer), Marcus Miller (Assistant Director) and Eileen F. Haggerty (Production Stage Manager).

This world premiere musical runs through December 23, 2006 at the Pasadena Playhouse, before transferring to Atlanta beginning January 17, 2007.  Tickets range from $40 to $100 and are available by calling the Pasadena Playhouse at 626-356-PLAY, by visiting the box office and on-line at www.Pasadenaplayhouse.org.  The Pasadena Playhouse is located at 39 South El Molino Avenue in Pasadena.  Also visit www.sisteractthemusical.com for more information.

Photo by Craig Schwartz

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