Classic Broadway razzle-dazzle and over-the-top ensembles abound in “Sister Act," Hale Centre Theatre’s latest musical offering, opening Oct. 12 and running through Dec. 3.
Closely following the storyline of its 1992 cinematic predecessor, a smash-hit starring Whoopi Goldberg, the musical features a feel-good story about the transformation of a self-obsessed disco diva named Deloris into a true “soul sister” to a gaggle of nuns.
“Deloris loves one person and one person only, and that is herself,” laughed Raven Flowers, double-cast in the lead role with Mackenzie Seiler. “Then we see her experience love in a whole new way. ‘Raise Your Voice’ is one of my favorite numbers because this is the moment when she begins her journey of love and sisterhood.”
According to the Chicago Tribune, producers of the musical, including Goldberg herself, have changed around the time and location from the movie’s contemporary Reno and San Francisco setting to disco-mania (late ’70s) in Philadelphia. As this is an era oozing with soul and sass, it takes a musical version of “Sister Act” to new heights: it’s hard to resist a nun in sequins and even harder to resist one doing the hustle.
Disco became the vehicle for new melodic ventures by Disney hit-writer Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater, who teamed up to write a completely new score for the show, which debuted in 2006 in Pasadena but landed on Broadway in 2011 after a successful run on London’s West End, according to a press release from HCT. It garnered five Tony nominations including best musical, best book of a musical and best original score.
“Sister Act has great orchestrations, tight harmonies and our two leads are brilliant — their voices could make an aircraft fall from the sky,” said music director Kelly DeHaan. “Alan Menken is the king of writing memorable melodies and tunes — and he again nailed it. When these nuns get moving, you can’t help but smile from ear to ear.”
Disco’s big hair and bigger voices find a friend in Deloris, a wannabe diva who goes on the lam after witnessing a murder committed by her gangster boyfriend. When the cops hide her as a nun in a convent under the suspicious watch of Mother Superior (played by Betsy West and Elizabeth Hansen), an unlikely friendship ensues between Deloris and her fellow sisters as she helps them learn to sing and in the process learns more about herself as well.
“I love Deloris,” said Flowers, who is making her HCT debut. “In this process, I've learned we are alike. Singing is our passion.”
Flowers grew up in Las Vegas, and at 4 years old set her sights on a singing career. She sang in a gospel choir and ensemble roles in the big Vegas musicals, then moved to Utah at 17, where she has been a soloist with the LDS Genesis Gospel Choir.
“That has been a huge blessing in my life,” Flowers, now 21, said of the experience. She’s also starred in various local productions since her arrival, such as CenterPoint’s "Aida" in 2015, where she played the title role — proving she has the vocal chops for just about anything.
“I feel my voice is ready for this role,” Flowers said. “The music is second nature to me, and Kelly DeHaan has helped me explore it and allowed me to be as big as I want to be vocally.”
Flowers’ character not only requires a booming, soul-stirring set of pipes but also a larger-than-life personality. When Deloris, disguised as Sister Mary Clarence, meets her new sisters, two worlds collide. Her sass, spirit and even irreverence convince the others she’s come from a more progressive parish, but soon enough they begin to adore her.
Their pathetic, disorganized choir becomes Sister Mary Clarence’s new calling, where she injects her signature showmanship and plenty of sass to create a must-see disco-laced attraction (sparkling nuns getting their boogie down) that may save the parish.
“Sister Act is heartwarming and charming. The music is sensational and it’s totally hilarious,” DeHann said. “Nuns doing disco is the perfect pairing of opposites to create a comedy. Plus it’s a total spectacle. The costumes will blow your mind … all the sequins in the Western hemisphere were used for this show.”
If you go …
What: Hale Centre Theatre’s “Sister Act”
Where: 3333 S. Decker Lake Drive in West Valley City
When: Oct. 12–Dec. 3, 2016, 7:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday matinees
How much: $32 for adults and $16 for children ages 5 through 11. No children under the age of 5 are permitted in the theater.
Phone: 801-984-9000
Web: hct.org