AUGUSTA -- It isn't often that one worries about the audience at the theater. But opening night at the Barn's ``Nunsense: The Mega Musical'' they nearly laughed themselves into a stupor. They laughed so hard they cried, and then they sent themselves into coughing fits.
The situation and the script are silly, no doubt. The Little Sisters of Hoboken at Mt. St. Helen's School are putting on a show in the Auditorium. It's a fundraiser to spring four food-poisoned nuns from the freezer and into the ground before the local health inspectors discover them. The nuns' motivations, inner worlds and ridiculous relationships with each other come alive as they sing and dance their sacred little hearts out.
But it's the wonderful ensemble cast peppered with exceptional stand-out performances that leaves Barn audiences wheezing.
Scott Burkell fully embodies Reverend Mother Mary Regina in all her complexity and hilarity. Never playing to the obvious moment or cliche, every raised eyebrow, each subtle gesture communicates her commanding presence. The show contains scripted audience interaction, but Burkell takes it further. He ad libs at opportune moments, genuinely connecting with the audience and blurring the line between actor and character beautifully. Witnessing this caliber of comedic acting is magnificent. Every time Burkell takes the stage provides unforgettable moments, but he really struts his stuff at the end of Act I when the Reverend Mother lets her hair down, so to speak, in her drug-induced delight. He also pulls off a priceless imitation of the Pope with little more than his plastic face and a tall chef hat.
Other strong, notable performances by Penelope Alex as Sister Mary Hubert, second in command, and Emily May Smith as Sister Mary Amnesia highlight an expertly cast and talented ensemble.
Alex, with her animated face and powerful, true voice, really shines in her duet ``Just a Coupl'a Sisters'' with Burkell and she practically brings down the house in ``Holier Than Thou.'' This little sister's got soul.
Smith plays the slightly daft but sweet Amnesia with just the right touch. And her beautiful, operatic voice seems to come out of nowhere, which makes it all the more pleasing.
Musical Director Micah Young makes the most of songs that are very hit-or-miss and the actors pull it all together with their miraculous talent. Wonderful dancing rounds out the musical, ranging from a delightfully clean tap number to a very silly spoof, ``The Dying Nun,'' that riffs off ``The Flying Nun'' and classical ballet piece ``The Dying Swan.''
The perfectly simple yet malleable set by Dusty Reeds and costumes by Kate Irvine Mills keep the focus on characterization.
Ultimately, it's the characters, and the outstanding actors who create them, that make this show an uproarious triumph.
AUGUSTA — The tension Tuesday night at the Barn Theater was palpable. A packed house assembled to see "Nunsense the Mega-Musical," a new version of the Catholic-themed musical with more nuns, gags and music. The theater's auditorium was abuzz with anticipation, as those who had seen the musical before counseled newbies about the treat for which they were in store.
In a season in which the summer stock already has staged a farce that set new standards for comedy excellence and a Tony-Award winning musical, the troupe has launched another successful production with its third offering. Those who saw "Tom, Dick, and Harry" and/or "The Producers" may find this hard to believe, but "Nunsense the Mega-Musical" might be funnier and more entertaining than both of those shows combined.
Certainly, the Barn's success is in large part due to the fabulous performers the Ragotzys have assembled for the summer. In addition to Barnie veterans Scott Burkell and Penelope Alex, the additions of former apprentices and now Equity residents Lisa Marie Morabito and Emily May Smith make up part of an exceptional talent pool of performers. Add to that mix director Eric Peterson and choreographer Larry Nye, and the Barn has a production that they could take on the road and outshine most companies who have toured with any of the many productions in the "Nunsense" franchise.
The only criticism that can be made of the show has nothing to do with this performance or the Barn's success. The re-package of the original "Nunsense" in this "Mega-Musical" form seems rather pointless. The added nuns look great on stage, but they don't serve any purpose in the plot or take key roles in the scenes and songs.
The only significant addition is the casting of Julia, Child of God (Mychelle Hopkins), the convent cook who made the bad soup that resulted in killing 52 sisters, four of which are stored in the convent freezer waiting for the funds to bury them. Hopkins does a delightful job with the role, creating a matronly, scattered character who's quite charming, but Julia was a much funnier character when not seen or heard.
There are no large additions to the script in either gags or musical numbers from the original version, so those expecting many new and different things won't find them here. However, none of the returning patrons seemed to care.
The funniest bit in the show is Regina's drug experimentation that ends the first act. Burkell, who played the role in the male version of the musical in 2003, reprises the role here and is mind-blowingly funny. He chastises the audience repeatedly in a hilarious running gag, but his wild ride after sniffing the drug Rush, had people gasping for breath.
Penelope Alex plays the role of Regina's right hand, Sister Hubert, and though the role often is played by a black woman to invoke thoughts of the film "Sister Act," Alex has great aplomb and fits her habit to a tee. Alex shows off her glorious pipes in the show's final number, "Holier Than Thou."
Sister Mary Leo, the novice, was played with the right proportion of innocence and exuberance by newcomer Megan McPhee. But it's the other two main nuns who show why the Barn made a wise choice in hiring them as Equity Residents.
Emily May Smith, as Sister Mary Amnesia, really shows what a distinctive and incomparable performer she is, and though she cannot croon her big song like others in the role, she puts her own particular stamp on both the song and her role.
Lisa Marie Morabito may have the plum role of the show as the starstruck and streetwise Sister Robert Anne. Morabito is a flexible and versatile performer who apparently can take any role and seem as if she was born to play it.
The show obviously wouldn't have been nearly as successful without the brilliant direction of Peterson and the simple-yet-inventive and clever choreography of Nye. Along with expert music direction by Micah Young and great sets and technical work, this show is a can't-miss hit.
Once the word gets out that "Nunsense the Mega-Musical" is a gut-busting, eye-watering extravaganza of comedy and song, the tickets will sell faster than Saint Christopher medals in a hurricane. Make sure to call the Barn early for reservations, so you don't miss this diamond in the Barn's theatrical crown.
Christopher Tower is a freelance writer and theater reviewer.
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