Sister Act @ Festival Theatre, Adelaide 26/3/2025
The red-hot ticket in the City Of Churches right now is without a shadow of a doubt is Sister Act featuring an all-star cast with Casey Donovan (Deloris Van Cartier), Genevieve Lemon (Mother Superior) and Rhonda Burchmore (Sister Mary Lazarus). In short, it is a fantastic night out! If you loved the movie you will love the musical.
The template for the musical is based on the movie made famous by Whoopi Goldberg with the storyline centred around aspiring glitzy night club singer Deloris Van Cartier who witnesses her Philadelphian boyfriend and underworld figure commit murder. To guarantee her protection she is placed in protective custody and the last place anyone would suspect or consider looking in is a nunnery. In hiding she assumes the role of a nun and all that goes with it including the outfit. She learns just as much from her fellow nuns as they do from her helping the struggling choir find their mojo to sound heavenly.
We already know that Casey Donovan is an incredible talent but this really does seem like the role she was born to play as Deloris Van Cartier. Whoopi Goldberg set the bar high for this role but Donovan gives this a fair dinkum shake making it her own yet still giving a nod to Goldberg. Her stage presence is undeniable and this performance is a clear example of why she is highly sought after.
The music is brilliant, upbeat and musical director Daniel Griffin has done a wonderous job conducting the original music score. The energy through the different styles of Motown, soul, disco is excitable and you see the audience itching to get up out of their seats and dance.
There is so much going on in this musical that the time literally whizzes by before the intermission. Everything from stage design to costumes was well considered and really well done. Genevieve Lemon (playing Mother Superior) is the ultimate professional with an impressive stage career with “Sister Act” topping her resume famously. With a strong and forthright demeanour from the outset she does soften with Cartier’s influence. Songs performed such as Here Within These Walls and I Haven’t Got A Prayer were fantastic.
It would be remiss to not mention the performance of Rhonda Burchmore as the crazy, zany and hysterical Sister Mary Lazurus. Absolute gold! Rhonda really did make the role her on. Like any musical it is the sum of all parts and there are so many who elevate this performance to a whole other level making it a must see show. Sophie Montague who played the quiet and reserved Sister Mary Roberts won plenty of hearts especially after the song The Life I Never Led.
Similarly, Sally Bourne (Sister Mary Martin of Tours) and Biance Bruce (Sister Mary Patrick) both brought their flair and quirks to their roles. Raphael Wong as Lieutenant Eddie Southern brought the funnies and good humour as well. The casting was elite with a number switching between roles. Notable mentions to Adam Murphy (Curtis Jackson – Deloris’s gangster boyfriend), Damien Bermingham as Monsignor O’Hara and bumbling henchman and sidekicks James Bell (TJ), Tom Struik (Joey) and Jordan Angelides (Pablo). By the end of the musical things are really humming along creating that feel vibe leaving the audience feeling even better than when they arrived. Fantastic night out, definitely catch Sister Act before it leaves town.
Theatre Review By Rob Lyon