Imagine a hearty serving of jambalaya. The ingredients are tasty morsels on their own: tomatoes, ham, shrimp, chicken, chorizo, rice and onion. Combine those things, though, and you’re presented with a meal that is spicy, satisfying and fulfilling.
That comparison is the best way to describe Cabrillo Stage’s production of “Sister Act”: It’s a human jambalaya, and it is a dish you’ll enjoy from start to finish.
The musical crime comedy film, starring Whoopie Goldberg, Maggie Smith, Harvey Keitel and Kathy Najimy, hit theaters in 1992 and became an instant classic. Even 34 years later, the storyline and score are just as engaging and catchy, and the Cabrillo Stage performance captures the spirit and camaraderie of the original.
Karriyma Pekary plays Deloris Van Cartier, a lounge singer who accidentally witnesses her boyfriend Curtis Jackson (Bobby Marchessault) execute an informant. Fearing for her life, Van Cartier seeks help and protection from the local police department where she happens to reconnect with Lieutenant Eddie Souther (David Jackson), a former high school colleague. With the help of Monsignor O’Hara (Marcus Cato), the two men determine that hiding Van Cartier in the convent of Saint Katherine’s Parish is the best way to keep her safe. Mother Superior (Jennifer Taylor Daniels) is unabashedly against welcoming Van Cartier into the fold thanks to the singer’s non-conservative ways, but her better angels prevail, and Deloris is rebranded as Sister Mary Clarence while she awaits Jackson’s trial within the church.
While in the care of the parish, Sister Mary Clarence’s singing talents are noted, and she is instructed by Mother Superior to take over the ailing parish choir in an effort to save the church from potential dissolution. Putting a lounge act into a habit does not automatically a sister make, and Mary Clarence’s conversion from stage to sanctuary is a heartfelt journey for everyone involved. Despite the dissatisfaction and skepticism with which Mother Superior views her newest lamb, the other nuns in the order are drawn to Mary Clarence, and her soul-food approach to spirituality invigorates the downtrodden sisters to find their own voices.
While the story is interesting and engaging, the talent is what takes this production from simply admirable to Michelin-star worthy. Pekary is outstanding in her role, imbuing her character with charisma, humor, the perfect amount of sass, dance moves and an authenticity that makes her a shining star, whether she’s dressed in gold sequins or a dowdy black habit. Daniels is a force of nature that moves everything and everyone with her deep, powerful voice, perfectly balancing the cast with a searing doubt in the Heavenly Father that is ultimately whisked from the table thanks to the influence of Pekary’s ebullient nature. Marchessault and Jackson play their characters with an ease that makes them show-stoppers, especially when their voices are unleashed for the audience to enjoy.
While each of the sisters has her own talent and attitude, none are as compelling as Mary Robert, played by Sofia Rosas, the soft-spoken and introverted convent candidate who is in the first stages of confirming her service to the church. When she introduces herself as a postulant to the feisty Sister Mary Clarence, Pekary’s character responds, “Well, I used to get low on cash myself sometimes, but I never turned to that.”
Rosas, who was in Cabrillo Stage’s production of “In the Heights” last summer, has an angelic, effortless, perfectly controlled voice that reaches the rafters and leaves viewers speechless. Her voice is a clarion call to the good Lord himself, and her rendition of “The Life I Never Led” is a soaring affirmation of her willingness to re-chart her life’s mission while serving the convent and her fellow sisters.
The cast and crew have created a collaborative stew of technical excellence and extraordinary mastery of the production’s material. The staging shifts and changes smoothly, allowing the audience to remain engaged in the storyline without wondering where the façades of the parish or police station have suddenly gone. Director Rebecca Haley Clark has a behemoth team working behind her, offering expertise in every behind-the-scenes avenue that contributes to the rousing success of this five-star dish.
Artistic Director Andrea L. Hart has cemented her place in the annals of Cabrillo Stage. After joining the house in November 2022, Hart became just the fourth artistic director and the first woman to lead the theater company in its 40-year history. Her unflappability, upbeat nature and supportive approach has given Cabrillo Stage a new era of possibilities, and she is a warm and welcoming presence to visitors as she strives to meet those who support the theater’s endeavors. During the talkback session following Sunday’s matinee, it was clear that Hart is all in on this production, and her pride in those who have dedicated themselves to Cabrillo Stage was evident.
There are some meals one simply shouldn’t skip, and the exuberant “Sister Act” is one that deserves a reservation.
“Sister Act” runs through Aug. 2 at Cabrillo College’s Crocker Theater, 6500 Soquel Drive, in Aptos. Showtimes are Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. The show is appropriate for ages 8 and up and contains simulated gunfire. For tickets and information, visit cabrillostage.com/sisteract.
