Sister Act (Capitol Theatre) ★★★

Music by Alan Menken. Lyrics by Glenn Slater. Book by Cheri and Bill Steinkellner (with additional book material by Douglas Carter Beane). Based on the Touchstone Pictures Motion Picture “Sister Act” written by Joseph Howard. Capitol Theatre Sydney till 26 Oct, 2024.

Much like the choir at Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow, when Sister Act kicks off its musical numbers, written by Disney legend Alan Menken, it is hard to resist. I must confess, with a cast of vocal powerhouses, these tunes sound immaculate. 

When aspiring nightclub singer Dolores Van Cartier (Casey Donovan) witnesses her club-owning boyfriend murder a police informant, she goes on the run. Policeman, and old high school chum, Lieutenant Eddie Souther (Raphael Wong) puts her in hiding till she can testify. The best place he can think of is the rundown old convent, Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow run by a cranky Mother Superior (Genevieve Lemon). While Dolores struggles to blend in, she finds her place helping the hapless choir, taking them from a tone-deaf cacophony and turning them into a local sensation by blending disco and R&B with their hymns. While the newfound crowds filling the once empty pews breathe new life into the congregation, the attention puts the spotlight on Dolores who is supposed to be in hiding. When her murderous ex discovers her, it puts the whole convent at risk.

There are two real stars to this show. Firstly the terrific tunes by Menken and Slater that blend 70s pop hits (they get so close to replicating some big tunes you wonder what the copyright lawyers must say) and gospel. Menken, the man behind the Disney-renaissance of the 90s, knows how to write a musical theatre score that has plenty of room for hummable tunes, emotional heft and ridiculous comedy. Let’s be clear, there are no tunes from the Sister Act films in this show, so if you’re hoping for a funky rendition of “I Will Follow Him” or a soulful “His Eye Is On The Sparrow” you’ll be disappointed. This is a blessedly all-original musical.

Secondly, this show would be nothing without Genevieve Lemon, who not only belts with the best of them, but has all the best dialogue, a well tracked character arc and knows how to pitch her performance at the right level. There’s a lot of over-acting in colourful costumes happening on the stage around her, but Lemon brings the whole thing into harmony.

As I mentioned, when it comes to the singing this show is a revelation. Casey Donovan hits the notes like a woman possessed, including some emotional heal-turns mid song. Rhonda Burchmore hoofs it up for every ounce of comedy as Sister Mary Lazarus (her hat-tip to Raygun at the bows was probably the show’s best bit of “choreography”) and Sophie Montague serves heart and surprising vocal heft as the young Sister Mary Robert. Equally all the men in the cast nail the tunes, with less stage time and even less material to work with. The trio work of TJ (James Bell), Pablo (Jordan Angelides) and Joey (Tom Struik) elevates their roles beyond some rather outrageously cartoonish performances. 

But when the music stops and the talking starts, your faith in the show starts to waiver. The book is diabolically mediocre, and often borderline offensive (jokes about not being able to understand Pablo’s spanish, or mistaking Dolores for a drag queen, feel cheap and tone deaf. If you’re a theatre-lover of faith, particularly Catholicism, you will wince at what passes for theological commentary). Most of the performances give in to the temptation to play to the rafters like a gaudy pantomime, making it hard to actually care for the characters. 

The staging (this is a re-creation of the 2022 West End revival that is still playing) is simplistic and over-reliant on flashing lights. The original direction by Bill Buckhurst is pedestrian at best, the “action scenes” are laughably bad and pointlessly long.

Thankfully, the tunes keep the energy high, and will have you humming all the way home. That, along with one genuinely impressive costuming gag and some obvious but amusing jokes, will keep you entertained. Sister Act won’t convert the hard hearted musical-hater out there, but if you like big numbers under coloured lights and want something to exorcise the winter blues, then this will be for you. Is it good? Well, as Mother Superior would say, “I have no words”.