Cresson Lake Playhouse to present musical comedy
Jun. 16—CRESSON, Pa. — This show will have you in hysterics with laughter.
Cresson Lake Playhouse will present the musical "Nunsense" June 16 through 19 and June 21 through 25 at at the playhouse, 279 Shapiro Road, Loretto.
Curtain times are 7:30 p.m. each night, except on June 19, when the show will be presented at 2 p.m.
Wendy Stewart, the musical's director, said the show was scheduled two years ago, but ongoing COVID-19 concerns postponed the production.
"We're thrilled to be back for the first full season in almost two years," she said. "We had a cast all pulled together and I picked up the show. We have an incredibly talented group of women, and three of them have sung and performed together in a group, so they are a nicely bonded cast."
In the musical, audiences get to see what happens when a nun accidentally poisons 52 of her sisters with her cooking and then has to bury them all.
A crazy whirlwind ensues in which the sisters decide that the best way to raise the money for the funeral costs is to put on a variety show, so they take over the school auditorium, which is currently set up for the eighth-grade production of "Grease."
Here we meet Reverend Mother Regina, a former circus performer; Sister Mary Hubert, the Mistress of Novices; a streetwise nun from Brooklyn named Sister Robert Anne; Sister Mary Leo, a novice who is a wannabe ballerina; and the delightfully wacky Sister Mary Amnesia, the nun who lost her memory when a crucifix fell on her head.
Featuring star turns, tap and ballet dancing, an audience quiz and comic surprises, the show has become an international phenomenon.
With more than 5,000 productions worldwide, it has been translated into 21 languages and is sure to tickle the viewer's funny bone.
"This is a beloved comedy that's probably 35 years old and has seen several sequels come from it, and people continue to love the show and are coming back for it," Stewart said. "It's a preposterous plot that's uproariously funny. It's silly and just easy humor, so it's a great night out."
She said the production features wonderful songs and dance numbers.
"There's also improvisation that takes a special kind of cast to be able to pull that off on the spot," Stewart said.
"And there's audience participation, so it's a lot of fun."
Cast members include Altoona natives Rebecca Culp, McKenna Dugan, Julie Gicking Hanlon, Lisa Surkovich and Kelly Jo Wise.
"They've found this show fun and there's a nice chemistry," Stewart said.
Show tickets range from $16 to $23.
For more information, call 814-472-4333 or visit www.cressonlake.com.
She said audiences will enjoy seeing nuns behaving out order.
"Everybody still enjoys that same premise of what are these crazy, zany nuns going to do next," Stewart said. "This is the show if you need a night out to escape from reality. It's a comedy that will make you go home feeling a little lighter."
