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| Dreams of Stardom |
If I can use a word to describe Sister Act, I would say:
Glitter. Glitter. Glitter. Actress Patina Miller plays Delores Van Cartier, or
Sister Mary Clarence – the role initially played by Whoopi Goldberg in the 1992
film. This is her first Broadway musical and it is a debut of which she should
be proud. She embodied the character of the unremitting, struggling singer who
knows she is a diva waiting for her turn to shine. The opening number, “Take Me
to Heaven”, was a disco masterpiece
that got stuck in my head, as any true pop song can. “Take me to Heaven/ Take
me to Paradise”, sang Delores and her back up dancers in attempts to get a deal
from the cruel character of Curtis Jackson, played by Kingsley Leggs.
How Curtis could turn down a singer with the funk, flavor
and knee high boots of Bette Davis is the question of the musical. The musical dives
right into the story; Delores witnesses the murdering of an informant by Curtis
and must now protect herself from being next on his list. It all plays out smoothly.
Lez Botherston’s costumes realized the fun and glamour of
living in the 70s. The overpowering sparkle, color and spectacle of the outfits
throughout the musical reflected the wonderful lighting designs created by Natasha
Katz beautifully. The disco ball costumes were a vivid and symbolic contrast to
the black and white nun habits that Mother Superior, played by Carolee Carmello,
and her sisters wore with demureness and their obedience to the spiritual
marriage to God that every Sister takes.
Music and lyrics created by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater mostly
expressed an element of a Donna Summer disco night in almost every song. “The Life
I Led” sung by Sister Mary Roberts, played by actress Marla Mindelle was a heart-pumping
poetic ballad that differed from the 70s club music, empowering the musical
with variety. The song showcased her
singing ability. She carried the song emotionally to a place very reminiscent of
the character in the movie. Other songs sung by the nuns in the convent and
Mother Superior broke free of restriction although carried by women whose roles
were to always remain respectful of God, in mind and body.
What I appreciated most about the show was the several
opportunities that the supporting characters were given to boast their
individual character and why they were chosen to be in the show. The adaptors
of this version of Sister Act took
every character into account and believed that every actor should be the best,
and treat their own characters as the star even if they were not the lead. The three
thugs had several numbers for the audience to focus on and emerge from their
roles as background characters. Curtis’ cousin TJ, played by Demond Green, shed
his dopey persona to deliver a performance that was sensual and soulful.
The supporting characters were always present, always giving
their all. Sarah Bolt’s version of Sister Mary Patrick was spot on. Her bubbly
and vivacious character shone and was a great comedic relief, as was Chester
Gregory as “Sweaty Eddie”; Eddie Souther is the underdog police man who always loved
Delores and needs to claim his role as a strong man in order to impress her. He
did this with such a humor and wit, that he could be considered one of the
musical’s scene stealers.
I did enjoy Kingsley Leggs’ portrayal of Curtis Jackson, but
did not find his physical performance as compelling. Vocally he had the
strength of a true thug, but his body was too stiff for a show filled with
disco songs. I accept the argument that the Curtis character is not a disco
king, but a cold-blooded killer. Why should he embody the rhythm of the musical?
I counter with the response that it was too noticeable how reserved his movement
was in parts of the musical. The oldest Sister had more movement than him and
he is a powerful man in his prime. There is no excuse.
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| Patina Miller Gets Down |
The movement of the sets was constant and seamless. It was
easy to focus on the characters even with the many changes that occurred on
stage. This set designer maximized every inch of the stage using moving walkways,
separation of the stage into two levels using on-stage balconies and stained
glass walls that rose high into the air to surround the blinged-out dancers and
Mary Magdalene statue.
One issue in the play was the difficulty in hearing the
other performers when the entire group was on the stage and attempting to sing
their lines in a round. The musical Rent
is a great example of how a round should come together. There is a great possibility
that the vocal strength of the other singers collided with each other, creating
a dissonance of voices and a lost chance to hear lyrics. This is a problem
especially when it occurs in the closing number “Spread the Love Around”.
Patina Miller really delivered a performance I am in awe of,
especially because I was reminded of Goldberg’s character in the movie. It
really made me appreciate Whoopi’s dynamism in her ability to transform this
convent from sickly groaning singers to beautifully energized worshippers of
God. Whoopi put her whole body into the movie’s Van Cartier character and
although the musical featured all new songs and Miller’s performance was more energetic
and reminiscent of Tina Turner or Beyonce; she captured the attitude and essence
of Goldberg’s memorable performance. The musical was different from the movie,
but not in a way that disturbed you by its attempts to undo its origins. It
pays homage to the movie and adds dimensions to the characters we might have
not noticed the first time around.
The musical version of Sister
Act is a true collaboration by artists, planners and creative visionaries
that put their all into this adaption. They should be proud of it.
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