Do you know how many women have been pope? Nun. Did you hear that Mother Superior had to crack down on nuns in the convent wearing perfume? She wasn’t having any of that Nun-scents. But if you’re ready for Nunsense, the musical with singing, dancing nuns who are just trying to earn a buck to bury their frozen sisters— then The Salem Players of Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church in Catonsville has got you covered! They will do their best to see that you’re impressed with their fun and lighthearted production of Nunsense, the musical comedy by Dan Goggin. Directed by Ashely Gerhardt with Musical Direction by Sterling Gray and Choreography by Megan Henderson, this cute little pick-me-up musical is a great respite from worldly troubles this October.
A simple set, with the live pit orchestra masked at the back of the stage, and you’re read for Nunsense. The whole premise of the show has The Little Sisters of Catonsville…which is a cute, local adjustment, along with another few little Charm-City/Bawlmer nods that director Ashley Gerhardt throws into the mix to really bring the show home to the audience… on top of their convent school’s theatrical production, which happens to be Grease. So you’ve got an old-fashioned jukebox, some bar-room stools, and a really nicely stenciled sign that says ‘Grease’ in swooping letters that almost make the shape of a car. The set was constructed by Matt Medicus and it’s kept simple. Lighting is also simple and functional, designed by Paul Timmel, with Jim Gerhardt running spot from above. (The spot-light is tightly focused and nicely executed for those moments when its used.) The costumes— five proper Nun-Couture affairs— are hailing all the way from Pierre’s Costumes of Philly, Pa and the props are rolling in-house by way of Sara Toscano. It’s an aesthetically simplistic show and the whole production team does a nice job keeping it that way.
Musically the show is solid. There are some microphone issues and some band-balance issues, which is always a challenge at the community level, especially when the pit can be seen. But Sound Technician Amanda Yerkey and Musical Director Sterling Gray manage well enough. Gray, who plays piano and conducts the pit, in addition to having a few lines with some of the nuns in the show, keeps the orchestra moving smoothly from start to finish. Featuring Gray on keys, Keith Amersbach on drums/percussion, Susan Beck on violin, Patrick Dick on violin, Erin Engelbrecht on clarinet, Gillian Engelbrecht on oboe, and Dave Booth Jr on flute/alto sax, it’s always a pleasant surprise to have live music accompanying the performers on stage; it really authenticates the experience.
There are a couple little nods to the local scene that Director Ashley Gerhardt throws into the mix, including a very clever and cheeky nod to our hometown sports team at the top of the show where the sisters teach the audience a ‘chant’ to welcome Reverend Mother to the stage. Gerhardt keeps the show’s overall pacing extremely tight, which serves the show well as the humorous nature of the show’s plot builds upon itself, one silly scene after the next. There’s also just a generalized sense of ‘presence’ on the stage, the actors are doing more than just marching to the front of the stage, reciting their lines and songs, and moving onward through their blocking. Choreographer Megan Henderson adds to this lively presence with her dance-routines that pop up here and there. Of course the ballet nun is expected to have some ballerina-style moves and she does, but where Henderson’s choreography really shines is in the simple but clean shuffle-sweeps and box-steps that keep the nuns in action. And her tap-routine featured during “Turn Off The Spotlight/Tackle That Temptation” is on point too.
One nun to rule them all. Or at least mother over them and that’s Reverend Mother (Anita Spicer-Lane.) Perpetually grumpy, very serious, and full of the “joys” of being stern, stalwart, and in-charge, Spicer-Lane has all the right facial expressions for the part. Which makes her little ‘crash’ towards the end of the first act that much funnier. She even gets a chance to showcase the fact that not all nuns follow that whole ‘obscurity’ thing during her big number, “Turn Up the Spotlight.” She’s constantly chastising poor Sister Amnesia, Hubert, and Robert Anne, which gives Robert Anne and Hubert some great ammunition for their little kickbacks and quicks all throughout the performance.
Sister Mary Leo (Carolyn Lawrence) has an indefatigably infectious smile that is plastered onto her face from the opening number featuring all of the nuns right through the closing number, featuring all of the nuns. (They start the show as a unit, break off here and there, and they close the show as a unit, it’s a rather solid musical theatre formula that Dan Goggin is onto.) Lawrence has a lovely voice, does some fancy ballet-inspired footwork during “Benedicite” and has arguably the most hilarious moment in the show, in the second act when she does her interpretive dance rendition of what it was like to eat Sister Julia (Child of God)’s special soup…also known as “The Dying Nun.”
Sister Mary Amnesia (Sarah Robinson) is a hoot. You won’t be able to take your eyes off of her gormless staring. She lives up to what Rev. Mother & Hubert say, “Beautiful House. Nobody Home.” The way her face stays frozen in that perpetual state of nervous excitement, like she has no clue whether or not she’s supposed to be here but is really liking it anyhow is just delightful and hilarious. And it becomes a whole thing whenever she wanders out on stage, with Reverend Mother having to put her back into her physical place on the stage. Robinson has a soprano sound that’s shooting for the angels all the way up in heaven’s rafters; it’s impressive. And when she sings “So You Want to Be a Nun”, a duet with Sister Mary Annette (also sang and puppeted by Robinson) you get not only her soaring vocals but the hilarious vocal-switch-up between Sister Mary Amnesia and Sister Mary Annette. Of course, there’s a lovely country twang that Robinson brings to “I Could Have Gone to Nashville” near the show’s conclusion that is just lovely.
Put her in, Rev., she wants to be a staaaah. Pulling off that low-key Brooklyn accent and street-savvy gusto, Pamela Northrup is the perfect match for playing Sister Robert Anne. With lively facial expressions that convey her irritation, annoyance, and overall frustrations with never being taken seriously for ‘a part in the show’, Northrup is really, really fun to watch. And she’s funneling all of that pent-up frustration into “Playing Second Fiddle”, its conclusion, and its reprise, which is just like magical icing on a communion wafer. And then you get Northrup’s versatility coming into action when she mellows her character right down into a serious, yet heartfelt, moment during “Growing Up Catholic.” Northrup shows us the silly side with her Nun-pressions (a bad habit, if you will!) but you see her sincere side in this Act-II opener and it’s really a treat to get her vocals glistening gently through this song.
She’s holier than thou. She’s holier than thou! The Mistress of Novices, Sister Mary Hubert (Melissa Broy Fortson) shines in her own way, with attitude, sass, and a good, solid vocal kaboom (with or without the aid of janky mics) that will keep you in stitches throughout the performance. Following sororal suit, Fortson’s facial expressions are uproarious and worthy of screaming laughter, especially when she pulls— what I’m going to refer to as her— “Really? Really. REALLY.” face, which you see frequently throughout the show. Loaded with jokes and really good at getting under Reverend Mother’s skin, Fortson’s got a lot of umph to give the character of Sister Mary Hubert. She tackle-blasts “Holier Than Thou”, the big, show-stopping closer, and really puts pizazz into that number as well as her “The Biggest Ain’t The Best”, a duet opposite Rev. Mother.
It’s a good chuckle, a solid wall of good voices, and a fun time. It moves fast and it’s definitely worth investigating; one of the strongest musicals to roll through The Salem Players’ auditorium! Two weekends only— don’t miss Nunsense through the end of the month!
Running Time: 1 hour and 50 minutes with one intermission
Nunsense plays through October 29th 2023 with The Salem Players— Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church at 905 Frederick Road in Catonsville, MD. For tickets call (410) 747-0720 or purchase them online.
