MANSFIELD — The cast of “Sister Act: The Musical” is ready to raise its collective voice at the Renaissance Theatre this weekend.
Approximately 30 local actors will be donning their habits for this high-energy musical comedy based on the hit 1992 film starring Whoopi Goldberg. The locally-produced show opens Saturday, March 4 at the Renaissance Theatre.
When nightclub singer Delores Van Clayborn witnesses a murder, she is forced to enter the Witness Protection Program. There, she finds herself hiding out as Sister Mary Clarence of the The Holy Order of the Little Sisters of Our Mother of Perpetual Faith.
Director Michael Thomas assures audiences that the classic elements of the beloved movie will still be in play, but adding a little bit of heart.
“They certainly have the classic ‘fish-out-of-water’ story of the inner-city woman coming into the convent and turning things on their ear,” Thomas said. “But in the show you see the character start out as as a loudmouth wanting to be a star, and she comes to quietly understand and validate what the sisters have taught her.
“I don’t think you see that in the film as much; you see that she bonds emotionally with the sisters, but in the show you see how they turn her from being someone who’s focused on being a star to being a member of their extended family.”
Bringing that heart to life onstage is one of Mansfield’s favorite performers, Condrea Webber. Having worked with Webber for the past decade, Thomas said this is the actor’s first time in a role that drives the entire show.
“She grows in every single show that she does as an actress, and her voice has that earthiness and power to it,” Thomas said. “She expands and stays in the moment, and she’s making so many discoveries on stage.”
For Webber, the role is a dream come true. She recalls watching the movie “Sister Act” as a 16-year-old girl when it was first released in 1992, and being smitten with Whoopi Goldberg’s performance.
“She was one of my role models growing up, seeing an African-American woman out there doing her thing,” Webber said. “This is my all-time role that I’ve been dreaming to play. It’s big shoes to fill, but I’ve been telling everyone that I have big feet.”
While Webber certainly draws inspiration from the Whoopi Goldberg character, she is also enjoying stepping outside the box and taking some risks in her role.
“The great part about being under Michael is he lets you put a little bit of yourself in your character,” she said. “I’m not far from (Whoopi) anyway, the way I act and carry myself.”
Whoopi Goldberg is not the only iconic character from the “Sister Act” film. Playing the Mother Superior in the movie was Maggie Smith, and now playing Mother Superior on the Renaissance Stage is Lori Turner.
“It’s like, do you feel like you have to imitate what’s been done, or do you make your own stamp on it?” Turner said. “I’ve certainly been influenced by Maggie Smith but I’m not trying to imitate her.”
Turner said part of what helps bring an originality to “Sister Act: The Musical” is its original score. The show features a Tony-nominated score by Alan Menken, who has scored past Renaissance productions of “Beauty and the Beast,” “A Christmas Carol the Musical,” and coming this summer, “The Little Mermaid.”
“At first I wondered how they could possibly do this show without the music from the film, but Menken did a really great job of getting the flavor of that 1970s disco feel without it being those songs,” Turner said. “You recognize the film within the context of the show, but it’s not a carbon copy.”
Thomas noted that “Sister Act: The Musical” has been one of the most musically-challenging shows ever done at the Renaissance, particularly when many actors in the cast are newcomers to the stage.
“Some songs contain a lot of choreography, so we were a little worried about having singing, dancing and acting all coming together,” Thomas said. “The music is very layered, there’s a lot of things going on at once, so we added extra rehearsals just for that so we could get solid on that.”
Still, all elements of the show have come together to tell the story of Sister Mary Clarence helping a struggling convent to find the voice. Webber said she feels the message of the show is to not judge a book by its cover.
“That’s kind of how Mother Superior treats (Delores) when she first gets there, but once she really gets to know her for her heart, it shows that you can be blessed anyway,” Webber said. “You’ll cry, you’ll laugh, and you’ll bop to the songs, I promise.”
“Sister Act: The Musical” will be on stage at the Renaissance Theatre on March 4 and 5, and 11 and 12. Tickets are on sale now at the Renaissance Box Office, via phone at 419-522-2726, and online at MansfieldTickets.com.
