‘Sister Act’ at Ford’s is a Heavenly Good Time
Beloved characters, a committed cast, and fabulous musical numbers add up to a great time at Ford's Theatre's "Sister Act"
Blessed with a sweet yet sturdy redemption story, Sister Act, based on the hit 1992 film starring Whoopi Goldberg, is a natural fit as a screen-to-stage musical.
The tale of lounge singer Deloris Van Cartier hiding out from her murderous crime boss boyfriend in the last place he’d think to look for her — a convent full of singing nuns — eagerly lends itself to set-pieces full of singing and dancing.
Composer Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater’s score of catchy original tunes are paired with a solid book by Cheri Steinkellner and Bill Steinkellner, and additional material by Douglas Carter Beane.
Jeff Calhoun choreographs and directs Ford’s Theatre’s new production, which keeps a lively pace portraying the comical trials and tribulations of Deloris confined to a convent.
Nia Savoy-Dock — a Ford’s associate artist who served up delightful “Da-doos” as street urchin Chiffon in the company’s Little Shop of Horrors last spring — dons the habit and heels as Deloris, dubbed Sister Mary Clarence during her stay at Queen of Angels. Brimming with comic brio, Savoy-Dock is slyly funny, big and brassy in personality, but not overbearing.
She wields a big voice, too, though her instrument sounded not its fullest and warmest the night I saw the show. But she still belts out a rousing “Fabulous Baby,” Deloris’ brazen declaration of her star quality. Of course, at the time, Deloris is barely the star at the Philly dive owned by her boyfriend Curtis (Derrick D. Truby, Jr.).
After she witnesses Curtis bump off one of his enemies and subsequently disappears into hiding, Curtis gets his “I want” number, “When I Find My Baby,” an equally bold declaration. He wants his baby silenced by any means at his disposal. “I’m gonna shoot that girl/And then I’ll stab that girl/And then I’ll take her and shake her/And make her meet her maker.”
A graphic death threat played for peppy laughs, this disco-fied number could easily go tonally awry, but Truby puts it over with finesse. He also gets an invaluable assist from Curtis’ sassy backup trio of henchmen, Joey (Jimmy Mavrikes), Pablo (Dylan Arredondo), and excitable nephew TJ (Trenton McKenzie Beavers).
In fact, the charming ensemble of Mavrikes, Arredondo, Beavers, plus Ryan Sellers, in various roles and usually in the campiest of costume designer Ivania Stack’s ’70s threads, elevate every number they appear in, by virtue of their infectious commitment to the show’s goofy spirit.
And the bro crew are matched in their comic moxie by several of the sisters at Queen of Angels, where Deloris, installed as choir director, turns the hilariously off-key choir into a heavenly chorus. In particular, Debbie Mobley is a hoot as crabby Sister Lazarus, and Caitlin Brooke is a bubbly bundle of joy as Sister Mary Patrick.
The entire cast of sisters sounds great together, jamming on the first-act highlight “Raise Your Voice,” and opening the even more energetic second act with the rush of “Sunday Morning Fever.” The latter number offers Lawrence Redmond, as the parish’s Monsignor O’Hara, a prime chance to get in on the fun, with the actor spinning Irish gold from the clergymen’s few but impactful moments onstage.
Other characters with more time onstage — like Sherri Edelen’s Mother Superior and Kanysha Williams’ Sister Mary Robert — don’t feel as well-rounded. The connection the show tries to create between Mother Superior and Deloris, who start out as stubborn enemies before arriving at mutual respect, doesn’t really click. Their constant friction feels rote.
The connection that clicks (and surprises) is that between Deloris and smitten police detective Eddie (Joe Mallon) who stashes her at Queen of Angels.
Mallon pours such endearing vulnerability and determination into Eddie’s bold declaration of love for Deloris, “I Could Be That Guy,” that he certainly sways the audience’s affections. He also benefits from the harmonious backup provided by the show’s fun, colorful ensemble, without whom Sister Act might have fallen flat.
Sister Act (★★★☆☆) runs through May 17 at Ford’s Theatre, 511 Tenth St. NW. Tickets are $48 to $90. Call 888-616-0270, or visit www.fords.org.
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