Stage Door News
Stage Door News
GRAND BEND – Hallelujah! Audiences in Grand Bend have a reason to rejoice as the spectacular Broadway hit Sister Act launches the 45th Anniversary Season at the Huron Country Playhouse. The divine musical comedy filled with music, mirth and a chorus of sensational sisters runs now to June 25.
Based on the beloved film, Sister Act follows wannabe diva Deloris Van Cartier as her life takes a surprising turn when she witnesses a crime and then hides out in the last place anyone would think to look—a convent! Masquerading as a nun named Mary Clarence and operating under the suspicious watch of a stern Mother Superior, Deloris furtively helps her fellow sisters find their voices while unexpectedly rediscovering her own along the way.
“Sister Act has something for everyone – an outrageously funny story, glorious music, and a divine cast of characters you can’t help but root for,” says Alex Mustakas, Artistic Director of Drayton Entertainment. “Audiences around the globe have fallen in love with Deloris and her sisters, and we are thrilled that our patrons in Grand Bend will be able to get in on the fun.”
Channelling the same winning appeal that made Whoopi Goldberg so charismatic in blockbuster film, Aurianna Angelique exudes star power as she tackles the iconic role of diva-turned-nun Deloris Van Cartier a.k.a. Sister Mary Clarence. Angelique, who has amassed an impressive résumé in theatres across North America, delivers a powerhouse performance, displaying her dazzling personality and sparkling voice in numbers like “Take Me To Heaven,” “Raise Your Voice” and “Sister Act.” She manages to be both tremendously funny and heartfelt, leaving no question that she has the divine attributes to pull off such a demanding role.
Canadian theatre veteran Susan Gilmour, whom audiences may recognize as Marilla Cuthbert in last season’s Anne of Green Gables, is simply heavenly as the stringent Mother Superior. Her deadpan dignity serves as a terrific comic foil for Angelique’s vivacious Deloris and the giddy sisters. Her splendid voice rings with pious purity and genuine sentiment in the tuneful songs “Here Within These Walls” and “I Haven’t Got A Prayer.”
The supporting cast of quirky nuns heighten the comedy throughout the production. Laura Mae Nason is doe-eyed and sweet as timid young novice Mary Robert, but her voice packs a punch when it needs to, particularly in the good girl anthem "The Life I Never Led."
Susan JohnstonCollins is delightfully sunny and funny as the over-enthusiastic Sister Mary Patrick who loves everything, especially food. Full of vim and vinegar, Rebecca Poff is hilarious as the sarcastic senior nun Sister Mary Lazarus, who is always equipped with a clever retort.
Lee Siegel is smooth and calculating as Deloris' gangster boyfriend, Curtis. His commanding physical presence is a great fit for the role, and his sensational voice is effortless in the menacing tune "When I Find My Baby." Audiences may remember Siegel as Javert in Les Misérables and from last year’s hit production of Legends … of Rock ‘n’ Roll. He is well supported by a comic quartet of hapless thugs – Michael Clarke, Gerrad Everard, David Lopez and Oscar Moreno all find moments of side-splitting blunder as lackeys Ernie, Joey, T.J. and Pablo respectively.
Matthew G. Brown is goofy and charming as Eddie Souther, the desk chief at the Philadelphia police station (and high school classmate of Deloris) who helps her into hiding. Brown showcases his terrific voice and well-tuned comedic timing in the entertaining ode to wallflower guys, "I Could Be That Guy."
Larry Mannell is well cast as Monsignor O’Hara, the boring preacher who becomes more confident and inspired as Deloris and the nuns garner attention for the convent.
The stellar sisterhood make their mark as well, raising their radiant voices to the rafters. The talented nuns include Amanda Leigh and Lorraine Foreman as Sister Mary Martin-of-Tours and Sister Mary Theresa, with Vanessa Cobham, Amie Debrone, Sarah Horsman, Laura Larson, Clea McCaffrey, Chad McNamara, Brett Taylor, Jody Whitfield and Breanna Willis. Cobham and Horsman also play Deloris’ friends and back-up singers, Michelle and Tina.
Director Max Reimer ensures the production is full of soulful spirit and plenty of comedy. Credited with such past Drayton Entertainment hits as Anne of Green Gables and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Reimer knows that the success of this upbeat show rests in the ability to make the audience care about the journey of its heroine, which he achieves by balancing scenes of glittering high-octane jubilation with intimate scenes of self-doubt. Reimer was the Artistic Director of the Huron Country Playhouse from 1993-1996.
Choreographer Lisa Stevens gets habits flying and booties shaking with her inventive and comedic movement. Stevens is an accomplished choreographer whose work has appeared on Broadway, in the West End and in theatres around the globe. She has previously choreographed several large scale musicals for Drayton Entertainment including Anne of Green Gables, Monty Python’s Spamalot, and Disney’s The Little Mermaid.
Music Director Paul De Gurse guides a superbly talented 6-piece band through soulful funk tunes, reverent ballads, large show-stopping gospel numbers, and even a touch of rap.
The magnificent set designed by Adam Koch features deftly moving parts that allow the stage to serve as a church, complete with towering stained-glass walls, a disco lounge, and more. Costume Designer Rachel Berchtold has fashioned a parade of disco dresses and polyester suits for the secular side, as well as a variety of designer habits for the sensational sisters. Lighting Designer Kevin Fraser illuminates the vast scenery with the right balance of seventies ostentatiousness and spiritual opulence.
Sister Act features an original score with music by multi-Academy, Grammy and Golden Globe Award-winning composer Alan Menken (Little Shop of Horrors, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid), lyrics by Tony and Academy Award-nominee Glenn Slater (The Little Mermaid, School of Rock), and a book by multi-Emmy Award winners Cheri and Bill Steinkellner with additional book material by Tony and Olivier Award nominee Douglass Carter Beane.
Based on the Touchstone Pictures motion picture Sister Act written by Joseph Howard, the stage production premiered at the Pasadena Playhouse in California in 2006 and was produced by Whoopi Goldberg and Stage Entertainment in London in 2009 – then on Broadway in 2011. The musical was nominated for four Olivier Awards in London and five Tony Awards in New York, including Best Musical.
Sister Act is proudly sponsored by Commercial Print-Craft Ltd. Media Sponsors are FM 96 and The London Free Press. The Design Sponsor is Darlene O’Rourke Photography. The 2016 Season Media Sponsor is CTV.
Tickets are $44 for Adults and $26 for Youth under 20 years of age. Tickets for groups of 20 or more are $36. HST is applicable to all ticket prices. Tickets may be purchased online at www.huroncountryplayhouse.com, in person at any Drayton Entertainment Box Office, or by calling toll free 1-855-DRAYTON (372-9866).
Photo: Aurianna Angelique and company. ©2016 Darlene O’Rourke.
2016-06-10
Grand Bend: "Sister Act" launches the 45th season at the Huron Country Playhouse