SISTER ACT Concludes the 2017 Music Circus Season

The 67th Music Circus season continues with the feel-good musical comedy Sister Act, featuring an infectious score by Tony and Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken. Based on the hit 1992 film, this musical will fill the round stage with saintly sisters for the first time in Music Circus history. Performances of Sister Act are Tuesday, August 22 through Sunday, August 27 at the Wells Fargo Pavilion.

Sister Act follows the life of Vegas lounge singer Deloris Van Cartier, who is trying to be the next big disco diva, but experiences a setback when she witnesses a mob murder and on police orders gets hidden away at a nunnery for her safety. Cheer the singer on as she finds her path in the convent, taking over the failing choir while, at the same time, dodging a gang of hitmen chasing her. This musical comedy is a sparkling tribute to the universal power of sisterhood written by Cheri and Bill Steinkellner, coupled with the Menken score; songs include "Fabulous, Baby!," "Raise Your Voice," "Spread The Love Around," and "Sister Act."

Playing Deloris Van Cartier, the lounge singer in disguise in Sister Act, is Zonya Love, who appeared as Celie in the original Broadway production of The Color Purple and in the first national tour of Avenue Q; her regional credits include the role of Effie in the recent TUTS production of Dreamgirls, and the Music Circus productions of The Wizard of Oz, Avenue Q and Show Boat. Lynne Wintersteller, in addition to appearing this summer as Meg in Damn Yankees, will join the cast of Sister Act as Mother Superior, a role she played in the show's First National Tour; she played Dolly Levi in last summer's Music Circus production of Hello, Dolly!, was an original Broadway cast member of A Grand Night for Singing, and has extensive regional, touring and Off Broadway credits. Audrie Neenan will play Sister Mary Lazarus, the role she originated for the Broadway production of Sister Act; in addition to performing at Music Circus in Show Boat and on Broadway in Oklahoma! and The Odd Couple, she has numerous film and television credits including "Doubt," "The Departed," "Crashing" and "Friends."

Playing Curtis Jackson will be Rufus Bonds Jr., whose Broadway credits include Parade, Rent and Once On This Island, and national tours include The Color Purple, The Lion King and Miss Saigon; his regional theatre credits include Sister Act, Ragtime, Parade and Big River. Playing Sister Mary Robert is Jeanna de Waal, who has appeared on Broadway in Kinky Boots and American Idiot; on the West End in We Will Rock You; and in touring and regional shows including Wicked, Waitress and Finding Neverland. Playing Sister Mary Patrick will be Nikki Switzer, who appeared as Rona Lisa Peretti in the National Tour of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee; her New York and regional appearances include concert versions of Secret Garden and Pippin. Alan Wiggins, making his Music Circus debut as Eddie Souther, is currently appearing on Broadway in Beautiful The Carole King Musical; he also appeared in The Lion King on Broadway, and in regional productions of Grease and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Playing Pablo, a role he played in the National Tour of Sister Act, is Chris Chatman, who also played the role of Sonny in the National Tour of In the Heights, and has performed with Gladys Knight, Chicago and Kristin Chenoweth, among others. Todd A. Horman appeared in the national tour of Sister Act as Joey and will reprise the role this summer at Music Circus; his Broadway credits include The Last Ship, Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Urinetown the Musical, and his touring credits include Guys and Dolls and Victor/Victoria. In addition to his role this summer as Smokey in Damn Yankees, Justin Keyes will play TJ; he has performed in the National Tours of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Mary Poppins, and appeared on Broadway in The Apple Tree and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Playing Monsignor O'Hara is Bill Nolte, whose Broadway credits include The Producers, La Cage Aux Folles, Amour, Jane Eyre, Cats and 1776; his previous Music Circus shows include The Producers, Jesus Christ Superstar and The Wizard of Oz.

The cast of Sister Act also includes the following ensemble members: Making her Music Circus debut, Taylor Broadard has toured nationally with Memphis The Musical and has also performed at regional theatres including Maltz Jupiter Theatre and Maine State Musical Theatre; Katherine Cooper, also in her debut performance at Music Circus, has worked in the Northern California region at Sacramento Theatre Company, Sierra Repertory Theatre and 42nd Street Moon; Stephanie Burkett Gerson, who has toured nationally with Radio City Christmas Spectacular and has appeared in numerous regional productions including Beauty and the Beast and La Cage aux Folles, also making her Music Circus debut; California native Linda Griffin, who was an original cast member in both Something Rotten! and The Drowsy Chaperone on Broadway; Karissa Harris, in her debut season at Music Circus, who recently appeared in the Music Circus production of 9 to 5 and has worked at various regional theatres across the nation including Civic Theatre, Fulton Theatre and Main State Musical Theatre; Alexi Ishida, who is making her Music Circus debut, is currently pursuing a B.A. in drama at UC Irvine and has most recently appeared in Miss Saigon at Young Actors Stage; Adam Lendermon, back for his fourth season with Music Circus, who appeared in last season's productions of Legally Blonde and Hello, Dolly!, off-Broadway in The Anthem and in the national touring productions of Cats and West Side Story; Melissa Lyons Caldretti, who has appeared at Music Circus twice before in Annie and Fiddler on the Roof and in the national touring company of Les Misérables; Ivory McKay returns to Music Circus having performed in previous productions of Big River and My Fair Lady and also in the national touring companies of Joseph ... and Hello, Dolly!; Mary Jo Mecca will also join the ensemble after playing Ernestina Money in Hello, Dolly! last season and making appearances in previous season's productions of Big River, Mary Poppins and My Fair Lady; Kathryn Mowat Murphy who has appeared at Music Circus in Chicago, A Chorus Line and Bye Bye Birdie and on Broadway in Pal Joey and Fosse; California native Dennis O'Bannion, who previously appeared at Music Circus in Big River, among others, and on Broadway in Irving Berlin's White Christmas; Nicole Sterling who is making her Music Circus debut and has worked regionally at Goodman Theatre and Kennedy Center, among others; Omari Tau, returning to Music Circus with previous appearances including Hair and Seussical and in the national touring cast of The Lion King; Stephanie Thiessen, who graduated the Musical Theatre Conservatory Program at the American Musical Dramatic Academy L.A. with a B.F.A. in performing arts; and Jessica Wockenfuss, who played Adella in the national touring production of The Little Mermaid; she has worked at various well-respected regional theatres including Pittsburg CLO, Kansas City Starlight Theatre and Theatre By The Sea.

Sister Act will be directed by Glenn Casale, a highly respected figure in international theatre who has directed more than 50 productions for Music Circus and Broadway Sacramento over the past 20 years; his extensive experience includes work on Broadway, off-Broadway and in some of the country's most prestigious regional theatres. Choreographer is Randy Slovacek, a veteran performer and choreographer, whose work has been seen in Broadway, off-Broadway, regional and concert theatres across the country; his choreographic work, to name a few, includes the national tour of Hello, Dolly! starring Carol Channing, the world premiere of Plane Crazy off-Broadway and the critically acclaimed Bassey and Me. Musical Director Dennis Castellano first arrived at Music Circus in 1981, acts as Musical Supervisor each season and heads the musical theatre program at UC Irvine; Music Circus credits, to name a few, include The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hair, La Cage aux Folles, Mary Poppins, Show Boat, The Producers, Funny Girl, Ragtime, and Sweeny Todd.

Tickets for Sister Act start at $45 and are available by phone at (916) 557-1999, online at www.tickets.com, or in person at the Wells Fargo Pavilion Box Office, 1419 H Street in Sacramento. Evening performances are Tuesday through Saturday, August 22 - 26, at 7:30p.m.; matinee performances are Thursday, August 24 and Saturday, August 26 at 2:00 p.m. and Sunday, August 27 at 3:00 p.m. For more information, visit www.SacramentoMusicCircus.com.

Music Circus is produced under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director/COO Scott Klier and Artistic Consultant Glenn Casale. California Musical Theatre President/CEO is Richard Lewis.

To post a comment, you must register and login.