Sister Act at HCTO

Another musical that has become very popular with Utah audiences is Sister Act.  Even though the production at HCTO last night was the third one I've seen in a year I thoroughly enjoyed it!  A nightclub singer named Deloris Van Cartier (Aria Love Jackson) accidentally sees her gangster boyfriend Curtis (Brock Harris) kill someone so she is placed in the Queen of Angels Convent by a love-struck policeman named Eddie (Nathan Wawro) to keep her safe until she can testify against him.  She wreaks havoc on the orderly way of life at the convent until the Mother Superior (Mindy Taylor) puts her in charge of the choir to keep her out of trouble.  The new and improved choir's unorthodox performances bring people back to the church but all of the attention puts the convent in danger when Curtis and his henchmen see Deloris on TV.  This is such a fun and energetic show and the exuberant cast had the audience laughing out loud and, eventually, dancing in the aisles!  Jackson is outstanding as Deloris because, even though she is diminutive, she has a powerful voice and I really enjoyed her rendition of "Fabulous, Baby" and the reprise.  She is hilarious when she tries to teach the nuns how to sing and dance and full of sass during her interactions with the Mother Superior.  All of the nuns (Abigail Filmore, Courtney Byrom, Tina Fontana, Shannon Eden, Mary Jane Smith, Channing Spotts, and Sophia Campagna) do a great job singing and dancing in the big production numbers "Take Me to Heaven," "Sunday Morning Fever," and "Spread the Love Around."  I couldn't stop laughing when Sister Mary Lazarus (Tina Fontana), the oldest nun in the convent, starts rapping during "Sunday Morning Fever" wearing a Phillies baseball cap but Austin Baum (as TJ), Christian Wawro (as Joey), and Armando Serrano (as Pablo) steal the show with "Lady in the Long Black Dress" (the choreography is so much fun).  I also really enjoyed Michael Smith as Monsignor O'Hara (watch him twirling his stole during "Take Me to Heaven").  This show is set in the 1970s so the costumes are absolutely fabulous with lots of bold colors and patterns and I loved how the nuns' habits (and the Monsignor's vestments) get more and more bedazzled as the show goes on!  The set features moving panels which are used to project images of stained glass windows, Gothic arches, and various office interiors with the addition of a few props moved on and off stage.  The floor is a rotating checkerboard of flashing lights (which caused a few technical difficulties last night) and this, along with a disco ball, adds a lot of energy to the choir's performances.  This production is a blast (I left the theatre with a big smile on my face) and I highly recommend it.  In runs at HCTO through November 19 (go here for tickets).