The powerful musical “Sister Act” opens the Missoula Community Theatre’s 2018-’19 season Oct. 25-Nov. 4 at the MCT Center for the Performing Arts.
Sometimes the combination of music, movement, and story is so potent, it’s surprising how much your spirit can be moved. That’s the case with the “Sister Act,” says director Michael McGill.
The director notes that the musical is not the movie. In 2006, the film “Sister Act” was transformed into a Broadway musical that included a gorgeous new score by eight-time Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken (“Beauty and the Beast”). It’s that rich gospel music and enhanced story that make this musical an entirely different experience than the movie, and, McGill says, “even more fun!”
Deloris van Cartier, portrayed by Tierra Porter, is a flamboyant nightclub singer who witnesses a murder and goes into hiding in the nunnery of a church. Her splashy style and unconventional energy cannot be hidden underneath the nun’s habit she wears as a disguise. She sparks an entirely new vitality and groove in the rigid world of the nuns who are protecting her.
From the beginning, McGill has made the dancing in the show a priority. Choreographer Colleen Rosbarsky designed the movement to take the inspired score, and the audience, to an even higher level of exhilaration. The show’s bold music direction has been under the tutelage of Kirsten Paisley.
As the rehearsal process progresses, the hilarity of the script and the bevy of engaging characters begin to come alive through the performances of the cast. If you’re yearning to be elevated and inspired by music, movement, and laughter, McGill suggests buying tickets now for the performance.
“Sister Act” takes the stage at MCT Center for the Performing Arts, Oct. 25-28 and Nov. 1-4. Tickets for are available at MCTinc.org; by calling 406-728-PLAY (7529); or at the MCT Box Office, which is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays.