Producers Whoopi Goldberg, Stage Entertainment and Troika Entertainment announce casting for the North American Tour of five-time Tony Award nominated musical SISTER ACT. Called “In a word, DIVINE!” by the Associated Press, SISTER ACT launches from Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium after nearly three weeks of stage tech and cast rehearsal in Chattanooga. The crew arrives in Chattanooga on Friday, Sept. 7. There will be two public preview performances on Sept. 25 and 26 at Memorial Auditorium. From Chattanooga the tour moves to Toronto on Oct. 2 for a month-long engagement at the Ed Mirvish Theatre.
Tickets for both Chattanooga performances are available now at Memorial Auditorium box office, online at ChattanoogaOnStage.com, and by phone at (423) 642-TIXS (-8497). Box office hours are M-F, 10am to 6:30pm. Ticket prices range from $32.50 to $57.50 with a $20 discount for ages 17 and under. SISTER ACT is presented in Chattanooga by TAPA.
The North American Tour of SISTER ACT will star Ta'Rea Campbell (Book of Mormon, Lion King) as Deloris Van Cartier, Hollis Resnik (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Les Miserables) as Mother Superior, Kingsley Leggs (Sister Act, The Color Purple) as Curtis Jackson, E. Clayton Cornelious (Wonderland, The Scottsboro Boys) as Eddie Souther, Lael Van Keuren (Sister Act) as Mary Robert, Florrie Bagel as Mary Patrick, Diane J. Findlay (42nd Street, Promises, Promises) as Mary Lazarus, Todd A. Horman (Priscilla Queen of the Desert) as Joey, Ernie Pruneda (Sister Act) as Pablo, Charles Barksdale (Fat Camp) as TJ, and Richard Pruitt (42nd Street, White Christmas) as Monsignor O'Hara.
The company will also include Melvin Abston, Brian Calì, Alysha Deslorieux, Karen Elliott, Danny George, Blair Goldberg, Erin Henry, Wendy James, Trisha Jeffrey, Mary Jo McConnell, Ashley Moniz, Michelle Rombola, Jason Simon, Angie Marie Smith, Tricia Tanguy, Kelly E. Waters, and Dashaun Young.
“To hear people laugh and cheer the way they do at SISTER ACT -- a show people think they know but are pleasantly surprised to discover is not what they were expecting -- is a magical experience for a producer,” says Producer Whoopi Goldberg. “Happily, audiences across the country will be able to get in on the fun this fall when Deloris and her fabulous sisters start spreading the love nationwide.”
“I couldn’t be more proud of the creative team and cast members that have made SISTER ACT such a critically-acclaimed and crowd-pleasing success on Broadway,” said Stage Entertainment U.S. CEO Bill Taylor. “Our New York audiences have been absolutely amazing and I look forward to this fall’s tour and the next chapter in SISTER ACT’s wonderfully successful life.”
The North American touring production of SISTER ACT will kick off on Oct. 2, 2012 in Toronto, ON where it will play through November 4. Other venues for the tour include Chicago, IL (November 13-December 2, 2012); Orlando, FL (December 4-9, 2012); Tampa Bay, FL (December 11-16, 2012); Fort Lauderdale, FL (December 18-30, 2012); Naples, FL (January 1-6, 2013); Charlotte, NC (January 8-13, 2013); Greenville, SC (January 15-20, 2013); Boston, MA (January 22-February 3, 2013); Pittsburgh, PA (February 5-10, 2013); East Lansing, MI (February 12-17, 2013); Milwaukee, WI (February 19-24, 2013); Indianapolis, IN (February 26-March 3, 2013); Cleveland, OH (March 5-17, 2013); Buffalo, NY (March 19-24, 2013); Philadelphia, PA (April 2-7, 2013); Providence, RI (April 9-14, 2013); Hartford, CT (April 16-21, 2013); Atlanta, GA (April 23-28, 2013); Cincinnati, OH (April 30-May 12, 2013); Durham, NC (May 14-19, 2013); Houston, TX (May 28-June 2, 2013); Dallas, TX (June 4-16, 2013); Fort Worth, TX (June 18-23, 2013); Tempe, AZ (June 25-30, 2013); Los Angeles, CA (July 9-28, 2013); San Diego, CA (July 30-August 4, 2013); Costa Mesa, CA (August 6-18, 2013); Seattle, WA (August 20-25); Denver, CO (September 24-October 6, 2013) and more soon to be announced.
SISTER ACT received five 2011 Tony Award nominations: BEST MUSICAL, BEST ORIGINAL SCORE (Alan Menken (music)/ Glenn Slater (lyrics), BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL (Cheri & Bill Steinkellner and Douglas Carter Beane), BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL (Patina Miller) and BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL (Victoria Clark).
SISTER ACT features an original score with music by multi-Academy, Grammy, Tony and Golden Globe Award-winning composer Alan Menken (Little Shop of Horrors, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid and Enchanted), lyrics by Tony and Academy Award-nominee Glenn Slater (The Little Mermaid), and a book by multi-Emmy Award winners Cheri and Bill Steinkellner (“Cheers”) with additional book material by Tony and Olivier Award nominee Douglas Carter Beane (Xanadu, The Little Dog Laughed). Directed on Broadway by four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks (Guys and Dolls, A Funny Thing…Forum, Smokey Joe’s Café), the production features choreography by Tony and Olivier Award nominee Anthony Van Laast (Mamma Mia, Bombay Dreams) and is based on the Touchstone Pictures motion picture Sister Act written by Joseph Howard.
SISTER ACT opened on April 20, 2011 at the Broadway Theatre (1681 Broadway) to rave reviews. Elisabeth Vincentelli of The New York Post calls SISTER ACT, “One of the season’s happiest surprises! Off the charts and packed with goodies, to which we say: Amen!” Joe Dziemianowicz of The New York Daily News raves “A blessed event has landed on Broadway. Sister Act is a feel-good crowd pleaser worth celebrating. It keeps on purring from one happy moment to the next.” Charles Isherwood of The New York Times says, “When the wimples start quivering and the nuns start rocking to raise the Gothic rafters, all’s right in the kingdom of musical comedy!” and Mark Kennedy of The Associated Press calls SISTER ACT, “In a word, divine. This is a musical that hits all the right spots, achieving something close to Broadway grace. It will convert you.”
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 her 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.
SISTER ACT features scenery by Klara Zieglerova, costumes by Lez Brotherston, lighting by Natasha Katz, sound by Ken Travis and hair/wig designs by David Brian Brown. The music department includes Musical Supervisor Michael Kosarin, Music Director Brent-Alan Huffman, and orchestrations by Doug Besterman. Casting is by Telsey + Company, Craig Burns CSA.