Review: SISTER ACT at Taproot Theatre

Dear Readers, the musical version of the hit 1992, Whoopi Goldberg comedy “Sister Act” has never been one of my favorites.  On paper it should work with an Alan Menken score and fabulous source material were it not for those lackluster Glenn Slater lyrics.  He writes passable songs but nothing that truly grabs you.  But it’s a big, flashy musical with nuns rocking out so it isn’t all bad.  But I must emphasize “big”, which is why the choice to put this up on Taproot Theatre’s quite cozy space baffled me.  However, director Bretteney Beverly managed it.  Sure, there were some downfalls, but overall, she managed it.

The story hasn’t changed much.  Deloris Van Cartier (Alexandria J. Henderson) is a wanna be diva.  Her goal is a headlining gig in Vegas, but for now she’s a struggling lounge singer in Philadelphia (biggest difference from the movie.  That and now it’s set in 1977).  And even that’s not going well as her mob boss boyfriend Curtis (Danny Kam) won’t even put her in his club.  If all that’s not bad enough she just saw Curtis and his boys kill a man, so now she’s on the run.  But where can Officer Eddie Souther (Charles Simmons) hide her?  How about in a run-down convent under the watchful eye of Mother Superior (Anne Allgood)?  Sounds like a recipe for hijinks especially when Deloris, now Sister Mary Clarence, takes over the convent choir and fills their act with glitz, booty shaking, and Disco.

The downfalls are few but noteworthy.  “Sister Act” wants to be a big show but that cannot happen here.  A minor qualm with some wonderful staging and double and triple casting from Beverly.  But a major qualm of mine was a repeated mic issue throughout.  I don’t know if someone’s wimple was rubbing up against a mic or a connection issue or what, but it repeatedly resulted in loud scrapes and pops in the middle of numbers. 

But these qualms are somewhat easily overlooked when in comparison to what the show has going for it, most notably its two leads, Henderson and Allgood.  If you wanted some of the cream of the crop of Seattle talent in these roles, then these two would be at the top of that list.  Both amazing singers in their own right, especially Henderson who brought down the house multiple times, but also two actresses who demand attention the moment they set foot on stage.  Both commanding presences with a gift for honest, real performances and an equal gift for allowing the comedy of the script to flow through them without even trying.  Two of my favorite performers in town and I’d be hard pressed to come up with better for the roles.

But it wasn’t just these two powerhouses that made the show, the supporting cast is superb.  Let’s start with those supporting nuns, specifically Rebecca Cort and Hannah Schuerman as the novice Sister Mary Robert and the bubbly Sister Mary Patrick.  Both, absolutely nailing their vocals and characters.  Cort’s solo “The Life I Never Led” was heartbreaking.  And Schuerman had a kind of infectious character that made you want to smile every time she opened her mouth. 

And then there were the boys.  Simmons has an amazing voice and killed it on his number, “I Could Be That Guy”.  Eyual Degaga, Christopher Clark, and Rolando Cardona as Curtis’ bumbling henchmen TJ, Joey and Pablo were killing it from the start, and their lesson on how to speak to women, “Lady in the Long Black Dress” had the theater in hysterics.  But it was Kam that floored me, pulling double duty as the mobster Curtis one minute, and as the rockin’ Monsignor the next.  Great voice, especially those more guttural moments as Curtis but his comedic chops as the adorable Monsignor turned nightclub emcee were killing me. 

It's still not my favorite show, and those technical issues were awful, but damn, if I didn’t still have a great time.  And so, with my three-letter rating system, I give “Sister Act” at Taproot Theatre a YAY-.  Rockin’ nuns for the win!

“Sister Act” performs at Taproot Theatre through August 10th.  For tickets or information visit them online at www.taproottheatre.org.

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