Tony Tuesday: Sister Act

Today we’re jumping back to the start of the teenies with some musical theatre worship. This week’s TONY Tuesday is:

“Raise Your Voice” from SISTER ACT at the 2011 TONY awards ceremony. 

SISTER ACT is a 2006 musical based on the hit 1991 Touchstone film of the same name. The show tells the story of nightclub singer Deloris Van Cartier who witnesses a murder carried out by her boyfriend and is put into the witness protection programme by her former high school friend turned cop, Eddie. Deloris is relocated to a convent where she must masquerade as a nun, a lifestyle so far removed to what she has always known. SISTER ACT is a hilarious and heart-warming story about how sometimes the person who helps you find your truest voice can come from the most unlikely of places. 

The musical version of SISTER ACT premiered at The Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena, California in October 2006. The show had music and lyrics by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater with a book by Bill and Cheri Steinkellner, plus additional book material by Douglas Carter Beane. Part of the film’s success was its use of Motown classics. The rights for these, however, were unable to be secured for the producers due to their involvement in the development of a future musical, which is believed to have been Motown: The Musical. The production team therefore opted for an original score, setting it in the 70’s with a strong disco feel. The musical broke records in its two-month run with Dawnn Lewis starring as Deloris and future leading lady Patina Miller as understudy. The show opened to strong reviews. It then moved to the Alliance Theatre for a five week engagement in Atlanta in January 2007 with Dawnn Lewis continuing as Deloris, again receiving positive notices. 

After a further two years of development, the musical opened in London’s West End at the Palladium Theatre in June 2009. The production was directed by Peter Schneider, with choreography by Anthony Van Laast, set design by Klara Zieglerova, sotumes by Lez Brotherson and lighting by Natasha Katz. Patina Miller was cast as Deloris, with Sheila Hancock as Mother Superior, Ako Mitchell as Eddie and Katie Rowley Jones as Sister Mary Robert. The show was initially announced to close in January 2011 but was brought forward to October 2010 to accommodate Andrew Lloyd Webber’s revival of The Wizard of Oz. Throughout the run, Simon Webbe of the boyband BLUE played Eddie and Whoopi Goldberg, who originally starred as Deloris in the movie, played Mother Superior for a limited engagement. The West End production received mixed to positive reviews. 

The musical was revised before transferring to Broadway where it opened in April 2011 at The Broadway Theatre. The show again starred Miller as Deloris, with Victoria Clark as Mother Superior, Chester Gregory as Eddie and Marla Mindelle as Sister Mary Robert. The production closed in 2012 after having seen Raven-Symone take over the role of Deloris and Carolee Carmello the role of Mother Superior. 

The first UK tour began in October 2011 and ran for a year, with future TONY winner Cynthia Erivo playing the role of Deloris, Denise Black as Mother Superior and Julie Atherton as Sister Mary Robert. The first North American tour launched in 2011 opening in Toronto. The role of Deloris was played by Ta’Rae Campbell with Hollis Resnik as Mother Superior. A new non-replica tour, directed and choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood, ran from 2016 starring Alexandra Burke as Deloris, Jon Robyns as Eddie and Sarah Goggin as Sister Mary Robert. The musical was due to come back in a revised tour version with Brenda Edwards due to star as Deloris, and embark on a season at The Hammersmith Apollo with Goldberg coming back to take over the role, with Jennifer Saunders playing Mother Superior. However, this has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

SISTER ACT is a joyous and irreverent musical that you definitely need to give a listen to if you haven’t already Besties!

Cast recording available on Spotify and AppleMusic. 

FACTS:

Music: Alan Menken

Lyrics: Glenn Slater

Book: Bill and Cheri Steinkellner

Additional Book Material: Douglas Carter Beane

Theatre: The Broadway Theatre

Run: 20 April 2011 – 26 August 2012 (28 previews, 561 regular performances)

TONYS:

(NOMINATED) Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical – Cheri Steinkellner, Bill Steinkellner and Douglas Carter Beane, Best Original Score – Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical – Patina Miller, Best Performance by a Featured actress in a Musical – Victoria Clark