Raising Our Heart and Souls: Sister Act Hits the Stage!

O’Dowd’s Spring Musical Sister Act opens May 1st and runs until May 10th! Don’t miss it, tickets are on sale now!

By: Ocian Floyd-Haskell ’26, Editor-In-Chief for The Crozier

Bless you! And no, not because you sneezed. As members of a sisterhood, the nuns of Sister Act: The Musical say blessings before each performance, blessing the soundboard, footlights, choreography, and everything that makes putting on a production possible. Even you, a future audience member!

Rehearsal

Sister Act follows the story of Deloris Van Cartier, played by Zoe McKinnon ’27, an ambitious, confident, bold woman who dreams of being center stage as a world famous singer. Stuck and struggling to find gigs, she winds up in a relationship with Curtis, played by Landon Kennedy ’28, who is a gang leader followed by his four goons. After accidentally witnessing a murder, Deloris runs to the police station, where she finds Eddie, played by Murphy Aldrich ’26, who vows to help her until the case against Curtis is complete. He brings her to Queen of Angels, a convent in Philadelphia under the leadership of Mother Superior, played by Hannah Sweeting ’26, and Monsignor O’Hara played by Roman Wenzler ’26. When she learns that she must become a nun and conform to the norms of the Catholic Church, Deloris is initially mortified, creating tension with Mother Superior. However, after seeing the state of the convent’s choir, Deloris finds her purpose in uplifting the sisters and helping them “raise their voice” and find their confidence through singing together. Have you ever seen nuns do jazz hands? The bus stop? Be lifted into the air? Neither had the few churchgoers and local citizens, causing the sisters to receive television attention and popularity.

Zoe McKinnon ’27, who plays the lead role of Deloris Van Cartier, provides some insights into what audiences can expect from a performance:

How does Deloris’ character change over the course of the show?

At the beginning of the show, I am 100% confident that I am going to be a star; it’s just a matter of how I am going to get there. Once I enter witness protection at the convent, I focus on making the best of my situation by integrating outside aspects of myself into the choir, still focusing on achieving fame. However, after spending time with the sisters, I formed true connections with them that superseded my desire for stardom and led me to make huge sacrifices in the name of love. In the end, instead of dreaming of being famous, I learned to live in the moment surrounded by people who support me, care for me, and stick by my side no matter what, as well as learning to love others enough to do the same for them.

What is your favorite song/scene that audiences should pay attention to?

I think that the audience should pay attention to the song “Bless Our Show.” The connection that I form with the nuns is so powerful because it changes my aspirations from fame to friendship. And I think the audience can see it, but as we’re performing, we’re all having so much fun, most of us have been friends for years. It's such an amazing experience to perform a number that captures the impact friends can have on your life, with people I truly love who have helped me recognize who I want to be in the world. The relationships you see on stage are real, and it allows us to truly connect with the audience members and bring the show to life.

Sister Act: The Musical is a production with creative jokes, lyrics, and character choices, guaranteed to keep audiences entertained, laughing, and bouncing to the beat. The music is lively, upbeat, built up of intricate harmonies and solo moments, filling the theater with beautiful songs of soul, worship, and fantasies. So truly, bless our 40 person cast, 40 person tech crew, and creative team, who are working diligently to ensure the show is in FABULOUS shape!

Make sure to follow @odowdtheater for content and show updates! Tickets are now available for purchase.