Review: Heavenly SISTER ACT at Theatre By The Sea

Theatre By The Sea finished out an exceptional season with a heart-warming, hilarious and perfectly executed SISTER ACT. This production is the cherry on top of an incredible season full of phenomenal performances, stunning costumes and mind-blowing sets. With SISTER ACT, Theatre By The Sea firmly establishes themselves a destination for theatre on par with the best in the region. This a show with heart and soul that will stay with the audience long after the last curtain drops.

Sister Act is of course based on the movie of the same name that came out 1992 and starred Whoopi Goldberg. The stage musical version, written by Bill and Cheri Steinkellner with lyrics by Glenn Slater and music by Alan Menken, didn't come out until 2009, but is significantly better than the movie version. It takes the central idea of a lounge singer hiding out in a convent and teaching the nuns to sing and transforms it into a wholly immersive experience. While the movie is certainly cute and fun, Sister Act the musical is hilarious, touching and chock full of catchy and memorable new songs, rather than just covers. Theatre by the Sea once again stepped it up with a masterful set design that extends off the stage and out into the audience and the sparkliest nun habits that dazzle the eyes.

The main character is lounge singer Deloris Van Cartier played by a phenomenal Jeannette Bayardelle. She has a voice you could listen to for hours and one that only seems to gain power the more she sings. It takes an exceptional voice to lead this cast of other amazing talents, and Bayardelle oozes charisma, sass and perfect comic timing. The only downside to her performance is that the mic occasionally had a hard time catching her somewhat low speaking voice, so some of the dialogue in the first act didn't quite come through, but she showcased such a vocal range over the course of the night it's easy to see why her mic might have some issues.

Doloris is hiding out from Curtis Jackson, played by Philip Michael Baskerville, and his gang of cronies. Baskerville does a fantastic job of switching back and forth between being hilarious and being sinister, and manages to do so without seeming cartoonish, even though his henchmen are. He also manages to sing the song When I find my Baby, which is a loving, soulful song about how he's going to make Doloris pay for leaving him by shooting her, stabbing her and letting her meet her maker. Even the most sinister elements of this production are hilarious, which makes it just a wonderful night of good fun and amazing music.

There wasn't a single performance that was even mediocre, but attention must be paid to Lael Van Keuren as Sister Mary Robert, and JarEd Dixon as Detective Eddie Souther. Van Keuren is petite and wide eyed, but when Doloris encourages her to raise her voice because "god can't hear you", she unleashes a powerful soprano that almost knocks the wind out of you. Equally surprising is Dixon's performance of I Could Be That Guy, which includes some fantastic choreography and unexpectedly delightful costume changes, as well as a sweet, earnest performance that further endears you to the well-meaning protector of the play.

The only source of frustration on the night was the somewhat excessive use of the side aisles as part of the performance. During the most visually stunning part of the evening, anyone seated on the sides in rows A-L, had their view blocked by a spinning nun, which was frustrating to say the least. TBTS did a fantastic job of making the show an immersive experience, so it's a shame that that was the experience for some of us.

Overall, this was an amazing night of musical theatre with so much to love that it's hard to even capture half of it. Theatre By The Sea continues to astound with absolutely perfect sets and performances that it is pure pleasure to be able to be a part of it, even if it's just for a night. This musical has some of the best and most catchy songs out there, and the cast and crew managed to take excellent source material and make it shine even brighter.

SISTER ACT plays August 17 - September 4. Tickets are $47, $57, & $67. Performances are Tuesdays through Sundays, please check the website for exact dates and show times as they vary week to week. Tickets are available by phone (401) 782-8587, online at theatrebythesea.com, or in person at 364 Cards Pond Road, Wakefield, RI 02879.

Ellen Harvey (Mother Superior) and Jeannette Bayardelle (Deloris) Photos by Steven Richard Photography

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