Fans of the comedy classic, rejoice! Our friends at TPAC have shown us a faithful stage adaptation of the un-convent-ional story of Deloris Van Cartier, a wayward Philadelphia lounge singer who goes into witness protection to hide from her lover’s wrath after witnessing a murder. Divining that she’s in mortal danger, a cop hides her in the one place he prays she won’t be found: in the sacred halls of the Queen of Angels Church. Realizing that the church’s situation is just as dire as her own, Cartier channels her frustration with her new life of pious protection into resurrecting the church choir, bringing patrons to mass en masse. But under the service of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, can a sister get an amen? Or will her status as a black sheep betray her as wolves enter the fold?
Produced by Whoopi Goldberg and featuring The Book of Mormon‘s Ta’Rea Campbell, what we have here is a show that vows to make you a believer and somehow pulls off a miracle. It’s silly, yet still devoted, with great music and a cast where nun of the players are weak, instead performing with every bit of virtue the stage can hold. The sets offer enough of a diversity, and if I must confess, I can’t really think of a single vice with the production. This adaptation produces many good works, more than a pew laughs, and was exalted by the audience applause at the finale. You’d swear the Pope himself were in the orchestra pit.
It would be a sin to miss this show. Sister Act runs until March 16. Tickets and information about other great TPAC shows can be found at tpac.org.
