Review: NUNSENSATIONS, THE NUNSENSE MUSICAL REVUE at Palm Canyon Theatre

I wondered how Palm Canyon Theatre was going to follow their mega-hit Titanic which knocked us out with its powerful ensemble of 45 performers telling an epic story. In a very smart move, they went in an entirely different direction with Nunsensations, the Nunsense Vegas Revue, a paper-thin plot holding together an evening of skits, songs, gags and dances. The show doesn't set out to change your life, just to fully entertain you for a couple of hours, and it succeeds in spades!

In 1985, a show called Nunsense, with book, music, and lyrics by Dan Groggin opened off-Broadway. It ran for 3,672 performances, making it the second-longest running off-Broadway show in history. It spread around the world like wildfire (I first saw it in Western Australia!) Its charm is its simplicity. Five nuns, The Little Sisters of Hoboken, need to raise money in a hurry. One of them has cooked a banquet that killed numerous people whose corpses are being stored in the convent's freezer. They need to raise money to bury them. Creepy as this may sound, when presented onstage it is hilarious because it is so outrageous. The show has always been especially popular with Catholics because it is in no way sacrilegious. By its own terms, it displays the humor of the nuns.

Nunsense has spun off six sequels, each with book, music and lyrics by Groggin. Nunsensations, The Nunsense Vegas Revue is the fifth in the series. They are somewhat like a television comedy series where characters you know get into new humorous situations. Like a series, you don't have to know the history of the characters to enjoy the current episode.

Nunsensations finds the five nuns of The Little Sisters of Hoboken staging a revue in Vegas to earn a promised donation from a parishioner. After an opening number featuring the habit-clad nuns sporting giant pink feather fans, the action is non-stop. Mother Superior, very much in charge, is played by Amanda Barr, a theatrical veteran whose experience shows in every raised eyebrow. She is joined by Eri Gold as Sister Robert Ann, Kelly McDaniel as Sister Hubert, Denise Rooney as Sister Mary Leo, and Georgia Smith as Sister Amnesia. If you've seen previous Nunsense incarnations, you'll say "Oh yeah, it's THAT one" but their individual characters are quickly defined by this quintet of capable ladies.

Mother Superior is frightened that the revue might go too far, being in Sin City and all. One of the nuns informs her that previous Vegas revues have featured T & A (think A Chorus Line). Mother Superior crows, "Yes, we can do that. We have T & A - Talent and Ambition." A whispered explanation in her ears causes her eyes to bulge. The jokes are often silly, but they are fired so damned fast that you don't have time to think about them.

The amazing Derik Shopinski has done triple duty on this production: Director, Choreographer, and Costumer. And lest you think "How hard is it to costume five nuns?", they don any number of boas, stripper dresses, headpieces, etc. Shopinski had his tongue firmly in his cheek as he stretched the limits of religious propriety.

I was truly delighted with J. W. Layne's set. It conveyed a classy club stage with a curved staircase that started offstage with a raised platform and swept around to the stage floor. The three-piece band was nestled in the curve of the stairs. The most enjoyable scenic element for me was that the platform the band sat on and the first several steps had frosted plastic facings which were lit from behind in various colors, giving a truly Vegas quality to the set. There were also yards of fabric beautifully draped and a couple of Nick Edwards' projections which are becoming a highlight of virtually every PCT production. Nick Campbell's sound design kept every word crisp and clear without drawing attention to the fact that the ladies were amplified.

Jaci Davis was the Musical Director. With only five performers and some 18 musical numbers, each of the actors had a plethora of songs to learn, and Davis kept them in tight unity. She was joined onstage by Larry Hollowell on bass and Jim Watson on drums.

As I was leaving the theatre, I listened to audience members chatting and heard "That was so funny" and "It was absolutely hilarious." That put a smile on my face, knowing that I wasn't the only one that enjoyed it.

Nunsensations the Nunsense Vegas Revue runs through Sunday, November 13, 2022. Show times are 7 p.m. on Thursday, 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $38 adults, $34 seniors, with a special rate of $17 for students. For tickets, sponsorship opportunities, or other information, call the PCT Box Office at (760)323-5123 or order online at www.PalmCanyonTheatre.org. Palm Canyon Theatre is located at 538 North Palm Canyon Drive, at the corner of Alejo Road and Palm Canyon Drive. Box Office hours are currently Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Next up at Palm Canyon Theatre is Broadway in Drag, Palm Springs' wildly popular and reVAMPED Drag Pageant! It's not only a night of fanciful entertainment, but YOU help determine who will take home the crown - as every patron has voting privileges to name the Best in DRAG!

That is followed by Songs of Love and Longing, a one-night only Cabaret presented on November 9. This special fundraising concert will explore LOVE and all its aspects. Join Sheldon Safir, Eric Stein-Steele, Jaci Davis and Eri Gold as they celebrate emotions ignited by the heart.

Then the 2022-2023 season continues with an updated version of Palm Springs Getaway, the public's favorite production from last year. If last year was the out-of-town workshop, this year will be the Broadway Opening. Palm Springs Getaway plays through December and January.