Olivia Leyva, Kyrsten V. Williams and Minque Taylor (Photo by Joel Castro)
Reviewed by F. Kathleen Foley
The Morgan-Wixson Theatre
Thru July 27
Sister Act, which premiered at the Pasadena Playhouse in 2006 and went on to a healthy run on Broadway, is one of those cash-grab enterprises that exploited fool-proof source material —namely, the popular 1992 film starring Whoopi Goldberg — to make bank.
And it must be said that the show, which features music by Alan Menken of Disney fame and irreverently clever lyrics by Glenn Slater, is a workmanlike entertainment with plenty of pizzazz for the undiscriminating playgoer who is just out for a good time.
Judging from the high-fiving, backslapping energy of the opening night crowd at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre in Santa Monica, that good time was evidently had by all. The theater’s patrons, who showed up in force and all seemed to know one another, responded raucously and rapturously throughout the evening.
But to a more objective eye, the production’s lighting and sets were rudimentary at best, as was the sound mix — a deficit particularly noticeable in the opening number. And despite the best efforts of music director Jenny Chaney, many of the actors seemed vocally strained.
However, sheer verve compensates for much, and director Rubén Gabriel Hernández keeps the atmosphere consistently upbeat.
That verve is particularly apparent in Krysten V. Williams’s spirited performance as Deloris Van Cartier, the nightclub singer who must take shelter in a South Philly convent after witnessing a murder. Williams is ably seconded by Kim Peterson as the Mother Superior, who views Deloris as an unholy disruption to the convent’s peace and serenity. As Sister Mary Robert, the postulant who begins to question her vocation under Deloris’s worldly influence, sweet-voiced Bethany Haspel nails her solo, “The Life I Never Led.” And, buoyed by the imaginative choreography of Meghan Ripchik, the ensemble of “nuns” makes a joyful noise in their group gospel numbers — musical highlights which raise the rafters along with the show’s professional expertise.
The Morgan-Wixson Theatre, 2627 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica. Fri.-Sat., 8 pm; Sun., 2 pm, thru July 27. (310) 828-7519. boxoffice@morgan-wixson.org 2 hours, 30 minutes with intermission.
