Sister Act

36 young people,mainly in the S2-S6 age range, took to the stage in this hugely entertaining musical and sang, danced and acted their hearts out in this bright, fast paced production. Milana Barkovska gave a tour-de-force performance as the struggling nightclub singer Deloris van Cartier forced to take refuge in a convent after witnessing a gangland murder. Her singing, dancing and acting were all top class – truly “Fabulous, Baby!” Erin Urquhart’s Mother Superior was an oasis of serenity amid all the chaos brought about by Deloris and her superbly angelic voice was shown to its best in her solos “Here Within These Walls” and the heartfelt “I Haven’t Got A Prayer”. Olivia McPherson as the postulant Sister Mary Roberts gave an excellent portrayal of a young girl gaining self-confidence from her friendship with Deloris and her solo “The Life I Never Led” was outstanding. Nandi Dasar was another who gave an excellent performance as the ebullient Sister Mary Patrick with a strong singing voice and along with Erica Brewster’s rapping Sister Mary Lazarus added much to the humour of the piece. Cameron MacRae gave a very strong performance as Officer Eddie Souther, Deloris’s police liaison and long time admirer, with a heart felt rendition of “I Could Be That Guy”. Efosa Okuonghae as Curtis, Deloris’s gangland boss lover, played the fearsome gangster as to the manner born in his striking red suit. Finlay Swan, Christian Metcalfe and Daniel Mackay as his inept side-kicks TJ, Joey and Pablo respectively added greatly to the fun and their hilarious “sexy” antics in their rendition of “Lady in the Long Black Dress” almost brought the house down! Strong support was given by Matthew Walker (Monsignor O’Hara), Lucy Morris (Sister Mary Martin of Tours), Leah Elrick (Sister Mary Theresa), Amber Fowlie and Krystal Buckingham (Michelle and Tina, Deloris’s backing singers) and Mary Iassinski (Ernie). The singing and dancing of the ensemble was impressive throughout but especially in the Act 1 finale “Take Me To Heaven” and the show’s finale “Spread the Love Around/Raise Your Voice”. The 8 piece band under the leadership of Rhonda Scott were always the perfect support to the young voices. The simple convent set allowed plenty of room for the large company numbers but with the addition of a few pieces of furniture and expert lighting was quickly adapted for the smaller scenes like the police and Mother Superior’s offices. Congratulations to everyone involved on a superb production fully deserving of the extended applause and standing ovation received from the packed house audience.

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