Last month, Central Theatre took to the stage to perform the highly anticipated annual spring musical Sister Act. Once again, the lead actors, ensemble, stage crew, lighting team, directors, and everyone involved in this incredibly intricate endeavor absolutely crushed their performance. Every night, audiences were blessed with heavenly vocals, pearl-clutching drama, hilarious zingers, and an overwhelming urge to join the local convent! It goes without saying that this show was an absolute knockout.
Audiences had the pleasure of watching this stellar performance at the 7pm showings Thursday through Saturday or could catch the matinee at 2pm on Saturday. No matter the time or date, each show was nothing short of divine. Every performance received a well-deserved standing ovation from the crowd, a testament to the incredible level of connection this production made with its viewers. One could expect to feel a part of the show as an audience member, only adding to the genuinely exciting feel of this musical
Featured in the spotlight of this show was senior Anabelle Ortiz, starring as the flamboyant and iconic jazz singer Deloris Van Cartier. Ortiz truly embodied Deloris’ larger-than-life personality, even as Sister Mary Clarence! If the gorgeous, glittering jumpsuit was not enough to convince you of Deloris’ glam, then Ortiz’s wit, comedic timing, and sass most certainly did the job. Not to mention her incredible vocal skills were nothing short of angelic in this role, with Ortiz performing perfect belts in the opening track “Take Me to Heaven” and setting the bar for the rest of the production. Not to mention the title track “Sister Act” brought many nearly to tears with her incredibly emotional performance. Her understanding of Deloris’ complexity and character growth is evident in her emotion and characterization, highlighting her expertise as an actress and intentionality behind this performance.
Alongside Ortiz in her leading role was junior Cara Kaminski as Mother Superior. Who knew that a convent leader would also make the best comedian? Kaminski’s comedic timing and delivery were unrivaled in this show, serving one-liners that had audiences bellowing laughter all night long. Most notably, her monologues on stage were perfectly executed, with the jokester actress getting laughs from everyone purely with her own hysterical mastery of an exhausted nun’s prayers. Not to mention Kaminski’s outstanding vocal skills, with the no-nonsense facade of Mother Superior slipping for the beautiful and emotional ballads “Here Within These Walls” and “I Haven’t Got a Prayer”, the latter of which Mother Superior even faces an emotional crisis of faith. Kaminski commanded attention on stage, perfectly capturing Mother Superior’s strong will and devotion to her church, especially her sisters. But of course, nothing beats the grand finale in which we see Kaminski give the no-nonsense sister a makeover (of both outlook and wardrobe!) by donning a glimmering gold habit.
Elevating this already stellar production, junior Abigail Theesfeld took on the role of young postulant Sister Mary Robert. Stealing the hearts of every audience member, Theesfeld gave an emotionally piercing performance of a dutiful wallflower questioning her role and purpose in a life selected for her by fate. Through Theesfeld’s portrayal, however, the audience watches as Sister Mary Robert blooms and flourishes into her own person under the guidance of Deloris. The raw emotion of this journey is highlighted in the powerhouse vocals delivered by the actress in her solo song “The Life I Never Led”, during which there was not a single dry eye in the audience. Although not everyone is a postulant in a convent full of singing nuns being guided by a lounge-singer-in-hiding, Theesfeld beautifully carried the universal experience that is uncertainty about one’s future, and moved audiences with the security and belonging she finds in the most unorthodox of places for a future nun: a pair of purple platform Go-Go boots.
No great story is complete without a terribly evil villain; Curtis Jackson and his criminal posse most certainly helped complete this story. Played by senior Michael Vespignani, Curtis along with Joey played by senior Matthew Kearsten, Pablo played by freshman Otis Brooks, and his nephew TJ played by junior Matthew Berke attempt to hunt down Deloris after she witnesses the murder of their former partner Ernie played by freshman Julian Ciacciarelli. Vespignani was, without a doubt, bone-chilling, most notably in his solo song “When I Find My Baby” and the reprise of it in Act II in which he lovingly sings about the ways he will mutilate Deloris once he finds her. Vespignani certainly frightened audiences in
his portrayal, but not without serenading them with perfectly executed vocals and even some impressive (non-threatening) dance routines! As for his henchmen, Berke, Brooks, and Kearsten did a fabulous job of providing hilarious comedic relief. From Berke’s spacey unawareness in his performance of TJ combined with
arrogance and hubris as Joey came some deliciously hilarious laughs. Not to mention, Brooks’ impeccable comedic timing and the added layer of a language barrier brought even more lightheartedness and laughter to their combined performances. The chemistry of the three minions is spotlighted in their hilarious number “The Lady in the Long Black Dress” in which each criminal turns casanova and expresses their absolute confidence in the ways they hope to seduce the sisters into letting them into the convent. Keasten’s stellar moves were especially captivating.
Only adding to this whirlwind of talent was junior Axel Barnett starring as the upstanding police officer Eddie Souther. Trying to protect Deloris while also secretly pining after her, Barnett brought “Sweaty Eddie’s” quest for redemption to life. The emotion and theatrics Barnett displayed in this role were truly a testament to the actor’s commitment and skill, with moving and emotion-filled vocals in his solo song “I Could Be That Guy” which featured not one, but two onstage outfit reveals. In addition to Barnett’s acting skills on his own, his chemistry with Ortiz as Deloris compounded the emotion that this performance evoked in its audience. Barnett’s heroism and yearning in his role as Eddie undoubtedly rounded out the leading roles of this performance perfectly, adding to the incredible level of professionalism and expertise in this production.
Now, what would be a performance of Sister Act without the singing sisters themselves? The cluster of choir nuns featured a variety of members, including senior Olivia Acosta as the bubbly and outgoing Sister Mary Patrick, junior Lucy Mestrandrea as the sassy Sister Mary Lazarus, senior Elisa Castro as the distracted yet pure Sister Mary Martin-of-Tours, and senior Riley Hench as the nearly ancient but young at heart Sister Mary Theresa. The church also featured freshman Lucia Antonelle, junior Jaime Cenziper, sophomore Layla DeMayo, sophomore Julia Bunnell, freshman Ellie Shannon, and freshman Madison Khuri. Of course, these nuns were joined by Ortiz and Theesfeld as Deloris and Sister Mary Robert in most of their numbers, as well as the occasional appearance from Kaminski as Mother Superior. Not to mention, the flamboyant Monsignor O’Hara played by freshman Rishi Shah added a whole other layer of comedy to this convent, with his impressive stage presence and entertaining characterization. Beyond any doubt, some of the best performances to come from this production were the dazzling, extravagant, and beyond electrifying group numbers that the sisters sang together. Their commitment to this performance was evident with every song and dance, with Acosta even dancing through an ankle injury from one of the shows and Cenziper doing the work in the middle of the stage for one of the numbers. To capture the emotion of the crowd and the cast onstage during these group songs would be nearly impossible as it was such a unique and sensational feeling, but pure joy comes quite close to that ephemeral environment.
Their first song performed together “It’s Good To Be a Nun” was not only beautifully sung but also hilariously delivered, with each nun blissfully sharing the sheer joy they feel in their daily convent tasks. Seeing Deloris’ vision come together in their next number “Raise Your Voice” was truly an emotional moment, followed closely by the choir’s rendition of Deloris’ original song “Take Me to Heaven”. My personal favorites, however, were “Sunday Morning Fever” and “Spread the Love Around”, both of which offered the whole package when it comes to group performances: exciting music, killer vocals, and some of the best dance moves I’ve seen from any nuns. In particular, Mestrandrea brought some incredibly funky moves to show off Sister Mary Lazarus’ musicality and free spirit. Aside from the stunning
vocals, the vigilante skills of these nuns cannot go unnoticed. As a nail-biting climax, the nuns fought back against Curtis’ henchmen, featuring Sister Mary Martin-of-Tours (Castro) getting the final laugh by smacking Pablo (Brooks) with his own pistol, not without some help prior from the other sisters fighting back in their own way, including Mother Superior. Overall, this group of talented actresses accurately portrayed the beauty of sisterhood which was only reflected in their harmonious melodies and masterful acting skills.
The ensemble in this production also did an exceptional job in their performances. Included in the ensemble was sophomore Shannon Baumann, sophomore Riley Fox, junior Priyanka Madathil, junior Jenna Socolof, sophomore Daniel Ondish, freshman Leah Pershaud, senior Sophia Pulido, Elizabeth Purcell, and freshman Julian Ciacciarelli. And, of course, a special spotlight is necessary for tech crew member Cooper Flynn and Head of Sound Owen McCoy for their alternating features as His Holiness the Pope in the invigorating grand finale. In addition, the entirety of the production team, stage crew, tech crew, makeup crew, student leadership, adult leadership, and pit orchestra were integral in bringing this production to its full potential and preparing the stage and actors so that their audiences may have the privilege of attending the outstanding performance that is WMC Theater’s Sister Act.
