Review: SISTER ACT at First Stage Theatre

After 12 years, Sister Act has returned to Hamburg. This summer the First Stage Theatre Musicals Hamburg 2022/2023 | First Stage Musical Theater Hamburg | Musicals Hamburg - First Stage Hamburg is presenting this feel good hit, a jukebox songbook of soul, funk and disco tunes. The story is based on the 1992 Whoopi Goldberg comedy which was transferred to a stage musical by composer Alan Menken back in 2009. It is about Doloris van Cartier, a night club singer with ambitious goals, who witnesses the murder of a young man being killed by her boyfriend, a sleeky mug. Facing herself on the run, she hides in a cloister until she can testify at court.

Jens Daryousch Ravari, the director of this production, stays close to the staging of former productions all in all. Here and there, he works with slightly different tempi, but puts focus on the right spots. The song “The Calling” comes with different lyrics and some jokes have been updated. In the preview I attended, the leading lady Doloris was played by Lina Kropf, a young talent who shows refreshing confidence in singing and acting. Her counterpart, Mother Superior, was played by Femke Soetenga, an experienced musical singer and nowadays book author. Numerous cast members have graduated from the Stage School in Hamburg. With no doubt, they all put their heart and soul into this production. A couple of musicians led by Tjaard Kirsch perform live, which cannot be taken for granted these days.

Some of my personal highlights are the reprise of “Here within these walls” and “Fabulous, Baby!”, both performed at the same time as a kind of mesh up, as well as the song “Sister Act” being turning point in the show, and many more. On this first preview, the artists got standing ovations and I assume that many will follow. If you look for an evening stuffed with disco sound, a lovely story, a church choir and lots of fun, go and get your tickets through: Ticketshop - Stage School Theater - Alle Events (reservix.de)

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