sisteract | Theatre Breaks

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Sister Act Theatre Breaks in London

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Sister Act

Theatre Breaks in London

October 16 2009, 10:31am | Comments »

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Sister Act - the reviews round-up

http://usefulwiki.com/londontheatre/sister-act-the-reviews-round-up.html

Sister Act the Musical - Mixed Reviews The critics have given their opinions of Sister Act the Musical and they don’t seem to be quite sure. Ratings vary between 4* and 2* . Have a look for yourself and see if you agree: Evening Standard (****) – “It’s been done before, the reasoning might have gone, so why not do it again? Put a singing nun centre stage in a musical and watch the piece climb every mountain … Whether or not divine intervention is involved, it’s a wimple-wibbling, habit-forming triumph … Before Peter Schneider’s production builds up the unstoppable head of momentum that led to the quickest standing ovation I’ve ever seen on a West End first night, there are some dubious early moments. Once we find Sheila Hancock’s delightfully droll Mother Superior (‘God has brought you to this place: take the hint’) waiting for Deloris, sorry, Sister Mary Clarence, things take a distinct turn for the heavenly. Alan Menken’s attractive, gospel-inflected score kicks in … Helped along by Anthony Van Laast’s energetic choreography … There can be no disputing the evening’s main draw: 24-year-old Miller, …. Her magnificent voice is rich, soaring and, crucially, unflagging. She might have been unknown last night, but today all that will have changed. Take it away, sisters.” Daily Telegraph (****) – Based like most new musicals these days on an old movie, Sister Act proves more enjoyable on stage than it did on film. I caught the show at the final preview with an audience of regular punters rather than the usual first-night rent-a-mob, and the cheers and standing ovation at the end were both genuine and deserved. The book, by Cheers writers Cheri and Bill Steinkellner, is strong, funny and touching. And the disco-inspired score by Disney favourite Alan Menken, with neat lyrics by Glenn Slater, is a cracker. Frankly, what’s not to like, especially when you’ve got a chorus line of jiving nuns singing their hearts out ecstatically? … The show’s real find is the American Patina Miller as Deloris. She has all the comic vitality of Whoopi Goldberg in the film, but she’s sexier and sings up a storm. When she’s belting out the disco-diva anthems you might be listening to Gloria Gaynor or Chaka Khan. She also has a funky, spunky stage presence and great comic timing … I suspect this musical comedy about a nun on the run could prove habit-forming.” The Times was less sure: The Times (*) – a rather sweet, sentimental film has been hyped up, coarsened, given what — were the Palladium flown to Times Square — we’d call the big, brash Broadway treatment … The film’s point was that Deloris liberates the nuns’ voices while they liberate her spirit. She puts modern soul into their Salve Regina, they put Salve Regina into her modern soul. But there’s no gentle piety here … There’s less deft comedy, but much more music, most of it indebted to the 1970s, where the action is now set. That lets Alan Menken, the composer, have a lot of catchy fun with period rock and disco … And that lets Patina Miller display the first of her star qualities, a terrific voice. Add warmth, humour, vivacity — and you’ve a star who lacks Whoopi’s wry vulnerability but adds dazzle to the razzle around her.” Others were less kind. Quentin Letts seems to object on religious grounds, whilst admitting it’s likely to be a hit: Daily Mail () – “Call me a miserable old monk but I hated Sister Act….. This noisy, pumpy, insistently American musical will doubtless be a solid summer hit for the Palladium. It will entertain thousands of people who are out for a simple night’s fun and don’t get their cassocks in a tangle, like I do, about church liturgy. Much of it is well performed. Just count me out. From the start there is basically one joke: namely, the spectacle of nuns grooving around on the dance floor. I know I may be taking it too seriously but I found myself recoiling sharply from this story’s saccharine values and its bullying gaiety. The thing is as shallow as the Aral Sea. Hideously formulaic. Musical by numbers. Yuck, yuck, yuck … The evening’s chief on-stage talents are Sheila Hancock, who plays the stern Mother Superior, and Patina Miller as Deloris … Miss Hancock is on fine form and Miss Miller, after an off-key start, shows herself to have a cheesy presence and a Merlin engine of a voice. ” Michael Billington’s objections are more varied: The Guardian (**) …A world away from the cloistered charmers of The Sound of Music. What we have here is a show that feels less like a personally driven work of art than a commercial exploitation of an existing franchise … What was originally a fairytale fantasy, however, makes little sense in its new, vulgarised incarnation … In order to pad out a slight story, every key member of the cast also has to be given a number … Alan Menken’s music admittedly has a pounding effectiveness and the opening number, ‘Take Me to Heaven’, is skillfully turned into a hymn to religious, rather than sensual, ecstasy. Patina Miller invests Deloris with a wealth of raucous energy and just about convinces in her conversion from fame-seeking individualist to member of the singing sorority. Sheila Hancock lends the show some needed gravitas as the Mother Superior … All too typically the nuns, in Anthony van Laast’s choreography, kick up their heels like the Rockettes and prance around in gilt vestments that might be described as surplice to requirements. (That last pun really should have been edited out - just awful!) Your Reviews of Sister Act I’ve not been yet but I do intend going over the summer. Meanwhile, dear readers: Have you seen it? What do you think of the show? Are the critics wrong yet again? Do leave us your reviews of Sister Act in the comments.

Related Posts:Sister Act Cast AnnouncedSister Act The Musical - Video PreviewSister Act The Musical - Making WhoopiImagine This - critics reviewsOliver! Reviews and Opinionsa Sister Act - the reviews round-up

June 3 2009, 6:47am | Comments »

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Abseiling Nuns for Sister Act

http://usefulwiki.com/londontheatre/abseiling-nuns-for-sister-act.html

Sister Act Stunt Nuns What a stunt! Londoners report a small number of stunt nuns seen abseiling from the roof of the London Palladium today, evidenty a publicity stunt to help get the word out about the new show Sister Act the Musical. Sister Act opens on June 2, with previews from May 7 - why that’s tomorrow! The abseiling stunt follows on from a “Nun Run” staged in London on Sunday 3rd May

Related Posts:Gareth Gates as Joseph - Close Every DoorSister Act The Musical - Making WhoopiSister Act Cast AnnouncedSister Act and Magic PrizesSister Act The Musical - Video Previewa Abseiling Nuns for Sister Act

May 6 2009, 7:33am | Comments »

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Sister Act and Magic Prizes

http://usefulwiki.com/londontheatre/sister-act-and-magic-prizes.html

Sister Act producer Whoopie Goldberg has teamed up with radio station Magic 105.4 to help promote Sister Act. The radio station will run “Drive Time with Angie Greaves and Whoopi Goldberg” from the 22 of April and run until previews for Sister Act start on the 2nd of May. Magic will run both on-air and online promotions Whoopi herself will introduce an interactive radio promotion on Angie Greaves’ Drive Time show. The promotion will take the form of a competition. The ACM Gospel Choir (as seen on Jonathan Ross) performing a capella versions of songs from the Magic drive time playlist. Then listeners will be asked a series of questions based on the songs. Prizes will include VIP tickets to a performance of Sister Act. Sister Act - Whoopi with Angela

Related Posts:Sister Act Cast AnnouncedSister Act The Musical - Making WhoopiSister Act The Musical - Video PreviewPopular posts on London Theatre Breaks from Mar 2009A Little Night Music - West End Transfera Sister Act and Magic Prizes

April 18 2009, 6:53am | Comments »

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Sister Act The Musical - Video Preview

http://usefulwiki.com/londontheatre/sisteractthemusical-videopreviews.html

Sister Act the Musical is building up momentum for the opening in May this year and here’s a preview in the form of a press release video with Alan Menken performing a medley of fabulous songs from the new Sister Act stage show.

Patina Miller who plays Delores shows off her amazing R&B voice. Who else can’t wait until May? ** Sister Act Theatre Breaks tickets **

Related Posts:Sister Act Cast AnnouncedSister Act The Musical - Making WhoopiCome Dancing Video ClipsGone With the Wind - previewsZorro - opening delayeda Sister Act The Musical - Video Preview

March 8 2009, 1:04pm | Comments »

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Sister Act Cast Announced

http://usefulwiki.com/londontheatre/sister-act-cast-announced.html

Sister Act producer Whoopi Goldberg has announced the cast for the new London musical based on her 1982 hit film. Patina Miller plays Deloris (Whoopi), a singer hiding from the mob in a convent and Sheila Hancock will play the Mother Superior. Goldberg said the pair would “reinvent Sister Act and bring it to a whole new level”. The musical is now booking and will have its official opening in June.

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January 30 2009, 6:27pm | Comments »

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