Off-Broadway's NUNSENSE to Bring Fun and Frolic to Norris Theatre

Palos Verdes Performing Arts continues its 34th season with Dan Goggin's musical comedy sensation, "Nunsense." The production will run for 8 performances, January 20-29 at the Norris Theatre.

"Nunsense" is the second longest-running off-Broadway show in history, and since its debut, the heavenly musical has entertained audiences with more than 8,000 productions worldwide and has been translated into 26 languages.

The production is directed by Ken Parks with music direction by Jake Anthony and choreography by KC Gussler. The cast stars Jennifer Leigh Warren (the original Crystal in "Little Shop of Horrors, Alice's Daughter in "Big River") as the Mistress of Novices; Noelle Marion as wannabe ballerina, Sister Mary Leo; Dawn Stahlak as the jovial Reverend Mother; Sister Mary Hubert; Rebecca Lumiansi as the streetwise Sister Robert Anne; and Silvie Zamora as the charmingly wacky Sister Mary Amnesia.

"Nunsense" follows the crazy antics of five spirited nuns from the Little Sisters of Hoboken Convent. When their cook accidentally serves some tainted soup, poisoning 52 of the sisters, the five surviving nuns band together and put on a show to raise money to cover the burial costs. The sisters take over the stage of a production of "Grease" and perform in a riotous revue, filled with show-stopping song and dance numbers, comic surprises and more than 25 original songs set to a live orchestra.

Originating as a line of greeting cards featuring a nun offering tart quips with a clerical slant, the cards caught on so quickly that Dan Goggin decided to expand the concept into a musical. With a book, music and lyrics by Goggin, the original production of "Nunsense" opened off-Broadway in 1985, where it ran for 10 years and 3,672 performances. The show won the Outer Critic Circle Awards for best production, best book and best music. A second production opened on London's West End 1987. Building upon the success of "Nunsense," Goggin wrote and produced a series of sequels and spinoffs, as well as two teleVision Productions. A New Television series based on the musical will soon be launched.

Performances for the January 20 - 29 run of "Nunsense" are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Ticket prices range from $30-$65. For more information or to purchase tickets, call the box office at (310) 544-0403 or go to palosverdesperformingarts.com. The Norris Theatre is located at 27570 Norris Center Drive on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in the South Bay area of Los Angeles.

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