The production of the musical “Sister Act” at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire was hilariously entertaining with an enjoyable plot.
Based on the book written by Cheri and Bill Steinkellner and the 1992 movie starring Whoopi Goldberg, the musical stuck to the basic premise of the book and movie while also staying true to the theme of the story, which is about the importance of finding oneself.
“Sister Act” takes place in Philadelphia where a nightclub singer named Deloris, played by Stephanie Umoh, witnesses her mobster boyfriend Curtis, played by Byron Glenn Willis, murder a man. As a way to save her life, she is placed into the witness protection program and ends up in a convent where she poses as “Sister Mary Clarence”. The only person who knows her real identity is Mother Superior, played by Hollis Resnik, who forces Deloris to follow the rules of being a nun. Deloris eventually learns to fit in by becoming the choir’s leader but stands out by combining traditional gospel tunes with R&B.
Without a doubt, the only word to describe the musical is humorous. It gives the viewers confidence that they can do anything– a message brought through laughter, as most of the time the audience members seemed like they were trying to catch their breath from laughing so hard. There is so much going on in this play from mobsters dressed in ugly Hawaiian shirts who are trying to seduce nuns to nuns explaining why waking up at 4:30 a.m. is a great way to start the day.
The fast-paced plot keeps the audience engaged, as there is a fear something might be missed if a viewer were to look away. In certain acts, there are also moments when the viewer thinks it will turn out one way but ends up going in an unexpected direction.

The actors put on an astonishing performance. Each was able to portray his or her character convincingly, which made each performer stand out among the cast– from Hollis Resnik’s solo act in which she prays to the lord to get Deloris out of the convent to the nuns being goodie-goodies turned into gospel-singing women by Deloris.
Aspects that made the performances unforgettable were the costumes and the lyrics. In one scene, the nuns and the priest were dressed for a church-like disco. They were wearing their normal clothing decorated with sparkles as disco balls hung from the roof of the church. In another scene, the sisters sang about jokes in the Bible or controversial topics regarding the church.
The performers also made an atypical theatre space work well for this show. The seats were arranged around the stage rather than just at the front of the stage. During each scene, the lights would go out, and the viewers could hear the stage being set up within five seconds. Props were brought to and from the stage through the audience’s aisles, but that doesn’t mean the stage was lacking in scenery.

There was a plastic stained-glass window on one side. When the setting was the church, lighting would shine through the window to make the audience feel as though they were in church. Stone arches hung from the ceiling, hiding the chandeliers and disco balls that came out during other scenes.
In the end, “Sister Act” is an entertaining production worth seeing. It is funny, unpredictable, amusing, enjoyable, and the list could go on and on.  Every audience member seemed to leave with a smile on his or her face while he or she talked about seeing it again. While the performance ran for two hours, time really did fly when having fun.

“Sister Act” ran from Feb. 10 to April 3, so if you didn’t make the musical, try renting the 1992 movie this summer.