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On “Nunsense” (and “Tartuffe,” too)
The Waco Civic Theatre production of “Nunsense,” which heads into its second weekend tonight, carries a great gospel punch at the end. It comes in the powerhouse, gospel-belting voice of Regan Haddock in the rafter-ringing, audience-clapping “Holier Than Thou.” Haddock, as Sister Mary Hubert, a jealous No. 2 to Mother Superior Sister Mary Regina (Donna Makowski), nails her part throughout the musical with the right amount of mugging, but when she unleashes her voice toward the end, it’s a revelation.
Haddock’s colleagues also turn in good performances in the Dan Goggin musical, which lovingly spoofs Catholic sisters with song, dance and warm satire. The premise: the surviving members of the Little Sisters of Hoboken need to raise money to bury four colleagues poisoned by bad vichyssoise, hence a talent show. (Though, as Sister Mary Hubert reminds the audience several times, they wouldn’t have to if the Mother Superior hadn’t used convent funds to buy a VCR).
The sisters show their varied talents in a show set in the Mt. St. Helen’s School gym, still decorated with handmade team banners and paraphernalia from a recent production of “Grease.” Joining sisters Mary Hubert and Mary Regina are the street-wise Sister Robert Anne (Karen Savage), aspiring ballerina Sister Mary Leo (Midway high school student Grace Riehl, who remarkably fixed an errant scapular while performing en pointe), ventriloquist Sister Mary Amnesia (Beth Richards).
Interspersed with the songs are a cooking demonstration (“Baking with the Blessed Virgin Mary”) a home movie with the nuns starring in a western and a quiz played with audience members (which kept participating nuns on their toes: When one nun asked an older woman in the audience if she were a Catholic, the woman replied, “No, I’m a Christian” … )
Directed by Susan Voss, the nuns are entertaining as they sing, act, crack jokes and dance a little, though Makowski’s problem with lines in a recent Sunday matinee slowed the musical’s opening pace. Her husband Mike Makowski leads an off-stage combo that provides instrumental backing.
The cast is miked, which is a little unusual given the theater’s small size, and it proved a problem several times in Sunday’s performance, with amplification causing vocal shrillness at times or ringing feedback. Haddock’s gospel turn toward the end set the place ringing, too — but in a good way.
“Nunsense” continues with performances at 7:30 tonight, Saturday, May 9 and 10, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday and May 11. Call 776-1591 for ticket information.
As for McLennan Theatre’s production of Moliere’s religious satire “Tartuffe,” my apologies for taking so long to post this, though I saw the next-to-last performance on Saturday night.
Whitney Coulter, as the spirited servant Dorine, and Casey Pierce, as the grasping, lustful religious hypocrite Tartuffe, turned in notable performances, the former for her energy and dash, the latter for a measured, calculated sleaziness. Also good was Sara Rodriquez as Elmire, the wife who lures Tartuffe perilously close to raping her in order to show her deluded husband Orgon (a noisy Cruz Thomas) Tartuffe’s true nature.
Director Kelly Parker’s decision to use Ranjit Bolt’s translation, which employs rhyming couplets as does the French original, had mixed results. It’s an excellent script, but several cast members showed there’s a difference between learning one’s lines and learning them well enough to let verse flow naturally as conversation. Occasionally compounding that problem was Nick Catoire’s over-the-top mugging as Tartuffe’s toady Laurent; funny stuff visually, but it upstaged whatever lines were being said. Also, gentlemen flourishing and flouncing handerchiefs as they spoke may be stylistically accurate for that period, but it came across as stilted and artificial.
The heart of Moliere’s comedy came through in the MCC production, but left one wishing for a tad more polish. Still, kudos for attempting material that made the cast stretch beyond themselves.
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By Jacob
May 6, 2008 2:39 PM | Link to this
Saw “Nunsense” wih several friends this past weekend. Oh my gosh! ROTFLMAO and incredible songs says it all. You don’t want to miss this one.
By AJ Haroer
May 6, 2008 4:29 PM | Link to this
Saw Tartuffe, difficult script…but amazing show. Very funny and Casey Pierce and Cruz Thomas were a hilarious ensemble…Loved them!!!