It’s easy to see why audiences are singing praises for “Sister Act,” the Tony-nominated musical now on national tour. The 1992 movie starring Whoopi Goldberg was a blockbuster, and with the backing of now producer Goldberg, the show, which raised the roof Wednesday at the San Diego Civic Theatre, continues to ring joyful and soul satisfying noises.
The opening night performance showcased the enormous talents of Alysha Deslorieux, understudy for Ta’Rea Campbell, in the lead role of Deloris. If anyone had any doubts about Deslorieux’s ability to capture the essence of this flamboyant disco diva, they were soon blasted to smithereens, as the pint-sized stick of dynamite nailed the character with a rafter-raising voice and perfect comic timing.
If you’ve forgotten the story, Deloris is a star on the brink, sparkling with sequins and a-glitter with dreams, whose ill-timed association with low life producer and erstwhile boyfriend Curtis Jackson (a sinister Kingsley Leggs), leads her to witness a murder and necessitates her donning a nun’s habit and going into hiding at the Queen of Angels convent. Her earthy language (okay, she has a mouth like a sailor) and down-to-earth charm touch the humanity of the sisters there and she soon becomes the answer to their prayers when she takes charge of the choir, transforming it from a dreary chorus into a celestial force of nature.
The script gleams with hilarious repartee (Deloris’ well-intentioned but butchered rendering of the Lord’s Prayer, which is a mélange of MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech, a Richard III soliloquy and the Pledge of Allegiance, was great fun. The nuns, especially Mary Patrick (Florrie Bagel) and Mary Lazarus (Diane J. Findlay), play their parts beautifully, maintaining their divine stature but bonding with their irresistible earthly sister (“she puts the ‘sis’ in Genesis”) in the most human of ways. When Deloris passes along her thigh high purple boots to Sister Mary Robert (sensational Lael Van Keuren), the young nun-in-training, it’s a beatified bond made complete in the closing number “Spread the Love Around.” The sisterhood of the traveling purple boots is sealed.
A rousing and high energy score with nods to 70’s disco, funk, soul and gospel by Oscar legend Alan Menken (“Beauty and the Beast,” “The Little Mermaid,” and “Little Shop of Horrors”), sizzling dance moves and eye-popping costumes all make this production an entertainment bonanza.
E. Clayton Cornelious, as Eddie, the cop entrusted with Deloris’ care, is endearing and hugely entertaining as her love-struck protector who miraculously morphs from klutzy “sweaty Eddie” in officer’s blues to a dazzling, move-busting, white-suited dance machine.
Todd A. Horman, Ernie Pruneda, and Charles Barksdale, as Joey, Pablo and TJ, deserve kudos as a trio of hopelessly hapless wannabe doo-wop crooners. Hollis Resnik as the stern but eventually heartfelt Mother Superior is also outstanding.
When Deloris describes the rapture she feels as her voice rises to the heavens, Mother Superior tells her “That’s God,” whereupon Deloris replies, “That’s being human.” Joyfully, they both agree that it’s both. Can I get an amen?
“Sister Act” is perfect summer fare. With its glorious musical score, first-rate ensemble acting and dance, and gorgeous staging, this production of “Sister Act” made for a rousing and soul-soaring theatrical experience.
