Review: SISTER ACT at Reading Civic Theater is Heavenly

In Menken and Slater's ever popular SISTER ACT the Mother Superior at Queen of Angels convent says that visitor Sister Mary Clarence is from Detroit. She clearly is not. Menken knew the difference between the Motown Sound and The Sound of Philadelphia  and Doloris van Cartier is singing the Philly sound of disco meeting R&B in the finest way.

At Reading Civic Theater Doloris/Sister Mary Clarence is belted out by Davina Lopez, an area performer with a set of pipes that doesn't quit.  She's known for Motormouth In HAIRSPRAY, so the big sounds aren't new to her  Doloris may not be starring at Curtis' (Matthew Allen) club but in witness protection she can lead a true joyful noise - with the same songs.  It's amazing how so much sexually oriented disco fits a religious groove.  Doloris knows it and counts that the nuns don't.  Apparently half of Philly doesn't as everyone except Mother Superior (Melisse Weber, in a lovely turn) is the only Catholic who is not getting down with the beat  Even the Monsignor (Jeff Yoder, in a delightful turn on stage) who should be more worldly, wants to boogie down the Jesus Highway.  And he does.

Sophia Stankiewicz, who's trained in opera, plays postulant Sister Mary Robert and brings out a fabulous "The Life I Never Led."  Betsy Chapman, Sister Mary Lazarus, the choir director, is a comic gem, a fine singer, and able to terrify anyone who sat through folk Mass in the Sixties.

Watch out for Curtis' posse, played by Cody Hoppes, James Francisco, and Kyriakos Vachaviolos.  His inept henchmen give a rousing trio of "Lady in the Long Black Dress, promiseing the audience that not only will they never be able to seduce nuns, they'll never get any dates, ever.

One outstanding feature of this production is that the band volume and singing volume were matched snd the singing enunciation was near flawless.  If you've always wondered what some lyrics in a show actually are, you will not need to know the songs in advance this time to understand the words.

If you've seen SISTER ACT before, welcome to a new take on it.  There's hard work here worthy of being seen  One more weekend to enjoy this production in Reading - don't waste it.