‘Sister Act’ @ The Firehouse Theatre
—Carol M. Rice
Sister Act is a musical based on the hit 1992 film of the same name, with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Glenn Slater, and book by Cheri Steinkellner and Bill Steinkellner, with additional book material by Douglas Carter Beane. The musical premiered in California at the Pasadena Playhouse in 2006, breaking records to become the highest grossing show ever at the venue. The West End production opened in 2009, and a revised adaptation of the show finally opened on Broadway in 2011.
One might think the popular film would translate pretty seamlessly into a musical since it’s essentially a musical itself, but that’s sadly not the case, as the story seems clunky onstage.
However, as presented by The Firehouse Theatre, Sister Act is definitely a crowd-pleaser, and Micaela Workman is worth the price of admission as Deloris Van Cartier. She is sassy and brassy, with a golden voice that soars through the rafters. She truly brings her all to the role and obviously has a blast doing it. It’s impossible to keep your eyes off of her when she sings.
As the “bad guy” from whom Deloris is hiding, Shane Morgan brings controlled rage to Curtis. He does an especially nice job with “When I Find My Baby,” aided by his three goons, played by Daniel Muka, Kenneth Lane, and Brian Vazquez. I like how different each of them is in not only their appearance, but also their personality.
Bridget Hopewell seems a bit young for Mother Superior. Her performance is somewhat one-note, and her switch to becoming a friend to Deloris (instead of trying desperately to get rid of her) comes out of nowhere, but I think a lot of that is the way the character’s written.
Lourdes Bradley shines as Sister Mary Robert, especially in “The Life I Never Had.” Until that scene, though, she pretty much blends in with the other nuns, standing out only due to her postulant’s (nun-in-progress) costume. Again, I think this is a flaw in the writing.
If there was anything nearby, I’m pretty sure Erica Erives would break glass with her powerful voice as Sister Mary Patrick! She also has incredible facial expressions.
The additional nuns include Lucy Smithey, Hailey Wolfe, and Emily Fabrega, with Rachel Carter and Alaina Hooker (billed as Michelle and Tina, Deloris’s backup singers pre-convent) filling in as well. Even though most of them have names, that’s not important, as they make a solid unit, but I will say they all seem too young to be seasoned sisters.
Kevis Edwards brings sweetness and shy charm to policeman Eddie Souther. He does a lovely job with “I Could Be That Guy.” As Monsignor O’Hara, Josh Hepola may well be the smarmiest would-be game show host ever seen in the diocese. Tony Hernandez-Barone and Marcos Hillman complete the ensemble, playing multiple roles well.
Sister Act seems long and drags in the second act, but I think director Pamela Anglero does what she can with the material. Unfortunately, Logan Uhtenwoldt’s drab, unchanging set does her and the cast no favors, and it’s not helped by Hank Baldree’s lighting design, as the constant use of moving lights during the production numbers becomes really distracting after a while.
The 1970s costumes by Hannah Tolle and Owen Beans work well overall, but I’d have liked to see some of the glitter and sequins that Mother Superior complains about. Usually, the nuns are festooned in flashy costumes by the end of Act I, but that isn’t the case at The Firehouse Theatre.
Leo Thomas does a good job with the sound design, although some of the sound mixing was a little off at the performance I attended; it was sometimes hard to hear dialogue and vocals over the tracks playing.
As music director, Jason Philip Solís puts together some nice harmonies and allows the soloists to act instead of merely singing, and Danny Vanegas does a nice job with the choreography, especially in the numbers with the nuns.
While I may not be a fan of the script for the musical Sister Act (especially compared to the brilliant film), the audience at the performance I attended was instantly on their feet in a standing ovation at curtain call. Like I said, it’s a crowd-pleaser. You have just one more weekend to catch it.
WHEN: May 14-31, 2026
WHERE: 2535 Valley View Lane, Farmers Branch TX
WEB: thefirehousetheatre.com
