Sister Act at Orpheum Theater Omaha through March 23

When you think of disco balls and sequins and Motown's greatest hits, I would guess you don't think of church...or nuns. Normally I wouldn't either. But when you see the Broadway touring show of  "Sister Act," you get all this and more. 

Sean & I were able to attend opening night last night for Sister Act. It will be playing through Sunday, March 23. Performances remaining are Wednesday and Thursday evenings at 7:30 p.m.; Friday at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.; Sunday at 1:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Thanks to Omaha Performing Arts for bringing the 5 time Tony Award winner to Omaha. 

The theater was pretty packed last night, but the audience was sluggish at the start. As a former acting major, I pick up on the audience feeling pretty quickly. I know how hard it is to give high energy as a performer when you don't get the audience feedback. But I will give this top-notch cast credit, they kept the energy up and after only a short while, they had the audience totally engaged and turned it into one of the most up-beat crowds I've ever witnessed. By the time the curtain fell, every person was on their feet giving a standing ovation, clapping and dancing along. 

ABOUT THE SHOW: When disco diva Deloris Van Cartier witnesses a murder, she is put in protective custody in the one place cops are sure she won’t be found – a convent! Disguised as a nun, she finds herself at odds with both the rigid lifestyle and an uptight Mother Superior. Using her fabulous disco-ness and killer voice to inspire the choir, Deloris breathes new life into the church, but in doing so blows her cover. Soon it’s nun-on-the-run time but she finds salvation in the heavenly power of the newly found sisterhood.

Based on the mega-hit feature film, SISTER ACT features an original Alan Menken/Glenn Slater score with a vast inspiration of musical styles from Motown, soul and funk to great big disco anthems and Barry White-inspired musical comedy.

I have always enjoyed the movie and I was a little apprehensive to see how the show translated to the stage. I must admit that clever staging and choreography made the stage version an amazing show. I actually now like the stage version better than the movie. I loved the music and the singers were all very talented. We did see three understudies last night due to some illness in the cast, but even I couldn't tell who was the understudy. I had to look it up this morning to figure it out. They were that good. 

If you are looking for some fun music, a top notch cast and enough laughter to bring tears to your eyes, be sure to check out "Sister Act" before it's gone. 

Tickets are available through Ticket Omaha or by calling 402.345.0606.