Jerry Zaks directs this season’s latest Main Stem musical, “Sister Act,” which opened April 20 at the Broadway Theatre. Alan Menken and Glenn Slater provided the score and lyrics for this adaptation of the 1992 Hollywood blockbuster movie by Joseph Howard.
Reprising the role she originated in the 2009 London premier, Patina Miller stars as Deloris Van Cartier, a club singer put into protective custody in a financially troubled convent after witnessing a mob hit.
Disguised as “Sister Mary Clarence,” Deloris challenges the convent’s status quo and clashes with its stern Mother Superior (Victoria Clark). But she also bonds with her fellow Sisters and rejuvenates the sleepy choir with heavy doses of heart and soul — which could prove to be the convent’s salvation.
Whoopi Goldberg, who starred in the original “Sister Act” movie and its sequel, receives top billing here for her role as co-producer. Meanwhile, script-doctor Douglas Carter Beane receives credit for revising the book by librettists Cheri and Bill Steinkellner, a touch-up ordered specifically for Broadway.
Previews began March 24 at the 1,487-seat playhouse. Throughout its preview period, attendance was high at “Sister Act,” which started in front of 100 percent capacity audiences, and has consistently played to a 93- or 94-percent capacity house each week since.
Though audience sizes have remained consistent, the show’s box office draw has steadily increased — reaching $628,457 for the week ending April 17. “Sister Act” has a four-week total gross of just over $2 million, based on Broadway League’s numbers. Its regular ticket prices range from $51.50 up to $136.50 on Telecharge.com, and premium seating options are $176.50 and $201.50.
The show runs approximately two hours and 30 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission. Evening performances are at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, and 8 p.m. each Wednesday through Saturday. Matinees are staged at 2 p.m. on Wednesday and Saturday, and at 3 p.m. on Sunday.
Broadway Theatre is located at 1681 Broadway in New York, NY. “Sister Act” is booked into an open-ended production schedule. More details are available on the production’s official Web site.
Opening Night: “Sister Act”
| Publication | Critic | Review |
| Variety | Steve Suskin | “Patina Miller makes an altogether impressive Broadway debut…singing up a veritable storm.” |
| New York Times | Charles Isherwood | “Patina Miller…has a radiant presence and a strong voice with a tangy timbre.” |
| TheaterMania | Dan Bacalzo | “Miller…seems a bit too stiff in her first few scenes, but warms up as the show goes on and is always on-target vocally.” |
| Hollywood Reporter | David Rooney | “Despite some missteps, ‘Sister Act’ comes together to provide payoff in laughs, emotional uplift and spectacle.” |
| New York Daily News | Joe Dziemianowicz | “A feel-good crowd-pleaser worth celebrating.” |
| New York Post | Elisabeth Vincentelli | “One of the season’s happiest surprises.” |
