This evening, Ray and I attended the musical “Sister Act” performed by the Sherman Community Players. The music and lyrics for this show were written by the famous Alan Menken & Glenn Slater. My old friend Darrah Dunn, who is the artistic director for SCP, directed the play and was aided by both MD Christian, Assistant Director and Choreographer, and Pam Hamer as Music Director. If you live in North Texas and haven’t already seen this production, then you need to get busy buying tickets for one of the remaining performances: December 10, 14, 15, 16, and 17. You’ll be glad you did. You’ll walk out of the theater singing and maybe even bouncing to the beat of a disco song.

The play is set in 1977 in Philadelphia and is the story of a highly ambitious singer named Delores, (Rachel Rosser), who has gotten herself involved with a married gangster named Curtis, (Timothy Austin, Jr.) After Delores witnesses a crime committed by Curtis, she is placed in a convent by the police so that she can stay safe and serve as a witness against Curtis in his upcoming trial. The play explores Delores’s experiences in the convent, including her role in bringing a spark of creativity and confidence to the nun’s choir. It is also a coming-of-age story for Delores as she learns more about what truly matters in life and what gifts she can offer to herself and others.

Rachel Rosser brings both strong acting prowess and a beautiful voice to her role as Delores. Teresa Moore, as Mother Superior, is a great counter-balance to Delores’s more relaxed attitude toward life and Teresa’s voice is rich and strong. Also, the young postulant, Sister Mary Robert, Faye Horsely, aptly portrays a young woman who is questioning her life choices, which is accentuated by her lovely vocals. Curtis, Timothy Austin, Jr, is a menacing threat with excellent comedic timing, and Blake Rice as Eddie, the police detective, creates one of the tenderest moments of the musical when he perfectly delivers a song about longing to be “that guy,” the one who gets the girl he loves. The nuns work, sing, and surprise as they embrace Delores’s genuine love of music and Curtis’s three bad goons are hilarious in their “badness.” The entire troupe brings solid performances replete with comical moments, which delight the audience and evoke loads of laughter.

The set is gorgeous, the disco music excellent, and the actors are full of talent and good spirits. “Sister Act” is worthy of your time and your money. You will most certainly have fun and also appreciate the many talented people of North Central Texas dedicated to bringing a bit of joy to you this holiday season.