Review: SISTER ACT (EN VÄRSTING TILL SYSTER) at China Theater

Dress Rehearsal of Sisters Act 10 September

September is here and that means a lot of theater opening nights at the theaters in Sweden. Tonight it is the dress rehearsal for Sisters Act (En Värsting Till Syster), based on the movie with Whoopi Goldberg who played the singer Deloris who by coincidence happens to see when her boyfriend Curtis shoot one of his gang members. She rushes off to the police station and the deputy turns out to be a guy she knew in school who was in love with her. He promises to protect her if she testifies. He gives her witness protection in a convent, to the dismay of the abbess. But it turns out that the convent needs to be rescued from an acquisition. Of course, it is Deloris who saves the convent by teaching the nuns to sing and it is a huge success for the choir. Although Curtis finds out where she is and comes to the convent to get his revenge.

It is a pretty easy-going musical with comic twists in it. Gladys del Pilar played Whoopi Goldberg's role Oda Mae in Ghost successfully so it felt like an obvious choice when you heard that they were going to do Sisters Act. The Mother Superior is played by Suzanne Reuter and she perfect fit for the role. Every single line comes with perfect timing, bitterness, irony while her love for the convent and sisters shine through all the time. She really is a comic genius. Another who has perfect comic timing but who also uses his body language without overplaying is Kim Sulocki as the deputy. He is wonderful as the shy sweaty guy who went by the nickname Sweaty Eddie at school and who was in love with the cool Dolores, but who knew she never would fall in love with hem. Could he have a chance now? The audience loves him and he is richly rewarded with applause and whistles. Karl Dyall, who plays Curtis, also get a lot of applauses in the first act when he sings about his girl and adds some dance moves together with his gang members. Wouldn't mind a longer dance number because when Karl is on stage it can't be too much dance, as he is one of our best show dancers. This part of the musical really get the audience to cheer on for the first time in act one. Until then, there had been a bit of applause and it was a little fun, but it hadn't really getting started. But Karl's number is followed by one with Kim which also is great and with the act final magical choral numbers the audience starts the intermission with a happy feeling. The second act is also a little up and down, but you have nice time and it has it glimmers of fun. It's not boring in any way, and time passes along quickly. In the second act there is also a number which get extra applauses and that is when the gangster members (Alexander Larsson, Klas Wiljergård and Fernando Fuentes) sing about how to catch a girl. I was really impressed by Klas who I never seen in a musical before. A really strong voice. Alexander Larsson is always a joy to see on stage. There are several great choir numbers in the show but I seems like the odd numbers with the men a bit more as they get the crowd going, probably because it is different. The second act also ends with a grand chorus number that leaves the theater in a cheerful mood.

Palle Palmé's lighting design is good-looking as usual, and together with the video designer Johan Larsson and Philip Sundbom move us quickly in the scenes. Big eloge to Jan Radesjön and the whole orchestra.

It is not one of the greatest and emotional musicals, the music and the songs are not something you will remember too long and you are not moved in the same way as with Les Miserables or with As In Heaven (Så som I Himmelen), but you have a nice time and your leave in a good spirit and happy mode. It is always fun to see a musical you haven't seen before and you will not be disappointed to see this one.

Tickets are on sale and they have released tickets till the 14th of December so far.

https://showtic.se/forestallningar/varsting-till-syster/

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