Review: Community Players Creates Heavenly Hilarity with NUNSENSE 2: THE SECOND COMING

You might be hard pressed to come up with a musical that is or has a sequel. Sequels seem to primarily be the domain of movies, books and perhaps television shows. There is one musical, though, that actually has a number of sequels to its credit. The hit show Nunsense hasn't just spawned one or two follow-ups, it actually has nine shows which are considered sequels or spin-offs of the original. Now, Community Players is presenting the second in that line, Nunsense 2: The Second Coming.

After their successful first show, everyone's favorite nuns have decided to put on another production, to thank those who have supported them. Having been bitten by the "show business bug," they've decided to put on another variety show, even bigger and better than the first. Of course, things can't possibly go off without a hitch and problems soon arise. The potential of a celebrity talent agent in the audience causes excitement and anxiety. Then, even worse, a group of Franciscans show up to reclaim "Sister Amnesia," who they claim is one of their own. Not only do they threaten to take away the young sister, they also demand all of the money which that particular nun previously helped them to win (since she belongs to the Franciscans, so does the money, they say). Our five heroines in habits must then scramble to figure out how to foil the Franciscans, keep Sister Amnesia from being taken from them, keep all the money and save their beloved Order of the Little Sisters of Hoboken.

Writer and lyricist Dan Goggin keeps his book, lyrics and music pretty straightforward and sticks to what works, keeping the songs light and fun and the jokes fast and furious. Goggin peppers his music with a little something for everyone, including polka, country, jazz, gospel and a little 50's doo-wop. While there are a few songs that are highly disposable or just plain silly, there are also many that are lots of fun. "The Country Nun" turns into a bit with a puppet that is as random as it is funny (and that's meant in a very good way). "Angeline" is a lovely moment with one of the nuns singing about a fellow sister. "No One Cared Like You" is another wonderfully sung and poignant moment as one of the nuns believes she is about to leave the others forever. And "The Padre Polka" is a very funny song that also manages to be sneakily timely, given the current controversy surrounding women in the Catholic Church (and the fact that they can't be priests).

There's also quite a bit of variety in Goggin's book, some for better and some for worse. There are definitely moments that could be excised from the play with no impact on the rest of the proceedings (a long Bingo game scene really could be removed for the betterment of the show). On the other hand, Goggin has filled the script with many very witty and occasionally hilarious comic moments. There are, of course, lots of religious-themed humor and most of it works very well (the show's highlight is an extended scene in Act 2 when three of the nuns discuss the Catholic Guide to Gift Giving, it's a hilarious scene you might imagine seeing on Saturday Night Live in its prime). There are also a number of bawdy jokes which were very funny, even though they got a mixed reaction from the audience.

Director Bill Whitehead, Jr. keeps the pace up and the jokes flying for the most part, although a few of the moments of comic dialogue were not staged as well as they could have been. For his part, Music Director Ron Procopio also keeps things harmonious, making sure his actress' voices work together in harmony (and most of the time, they do). While those two have clearly had a role to play in creating this production, the show really belongs to the ensemble of actresses who all seem to be having a great time creating this fun and frolicking show.

Leading the way is Cathy Fox as Reverend Mother Mary Regina, the leader of the sisters. Fox brings a wonderful authority and presence to her role, and it's easy to believe that the other nuns would look up to and follow her. Fox also has some wonderful comic talent and has hilarious moments of exasperation and desperation as she tries to save her Order and the sisters under her charge. She's great in the aforementioned Catholic Guide to Gift Giving scene as well as another scene where she gets hilariously drunk, by accident, with another nun.

That second intoxicated nun is Sister Mary Hubert, played here by Karen Gail Kessler. Sister Hubert is the Reverend Mother's second-in-command, sort of her sidekick and right-hand-sister. Kessler and Fox have numerous wonderful moments together beyond that scene when they get drunk together and sing the funny "The Classic Queens" about their dreams of being on the silver screen. On her own, Kessler brings copious amounts of hilarious snark and sarcasm to Sister Hubert, which gives her some of the funniest lines and moments in the show. She's also great when teamed up with one of the other nuns, Sister Mary Leo, for their number "The Biggest Still Ain't Best."

Mary Leo is played here by Donna Gorham, who has one of the strongest and most beautiful voices on stage, although she doesn't get to use it as often as some of the others. Mostly, her nun is the young and naive one who acquiesces to the others and while she doesn't always get a lot to do, Gorham always has a lot of energy and enthusiasm on stage. Playing a very different character, Sister Robert Anne, is Maria Day. Her nun is the tomboyish one, the "tough" one, who follows the beat of a different drummer than her sisters, right down to her different shoes. Sister Robert suffers from having Goggin's worst dialogue but Day does her best with what she's given. She does have a couple of nice musical moments, especially the aforementioned "Angeline."

Finally, stealing almost every she is in, is Jeanne Sullivan Evans as Sister Mary Paul, also known as "Sister Amnesia," due to the accident that cost her some of her memory. Evans, with her high pitched voice and perfect comic timing, is fabulous in the role and has most of the show's best comic moments (including a few that the audience seemed to completely miss). She's also got one of the show's best musical moments, "No One Cared Like You," mostly to herself and does an excellent job.

While there are solo musical moments like that one, these actresses really work well as a team and are clearly having a great time together and with this material. That infectious energy and joy easily translates to the audience and if anyone thinks you can't have a lot of fun seeing a sequel to Nunsense, well, that's just nonsense.

Pictured (L to R): Donna Zurro Gorham, Cathy Fox, Karen Gail Kessler, Maria Day and Jeanne Sullivan Evans

Performances of Nunsense 2: The Second Coming are April 8-10, 15-17 and 22-24 at Jenks Auditorium, 350 Division Street, Pawtucket (across from McCoy Stadium). Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm, with Sunday matinees at 2 pm. Tickets are $25 for adults and $18 for students. Order online and print your e-tickets at home at www.thecommunityplayers.org or call (401) 726-6860.