A Review

Class Is In Session

By R. J. Donovan

The original "Nunsense" -- with some personal updates for the current cast -- is back in town in celebration of its 20th anniversary.  The short Boston run at The Wilbur concludes on Sunday, February 15.

This is the show that, in 1983, started the cottage industry of sequels and offshoots.  The story finds the Little Sisters of Hoboken having to put on a show to raise money for the funerals of several members of the order who were accidentally poisoned by the convent's chef, Sister Julia Child of God.  In all, 52 sisters were lost, and all but four have now been laid to rest.  Those final four are residing in the freezer, and woe betide if the health inspector beats the survivers to the kitchen.

Of course, none of this is meant to be taken too seriously.  While there's just enough innocent irreverence to give it a little zest, the show is filled with bad jokes, groaning puns and stereotypes all over the place.  What makes it rise or fall is the cast, which in this case showcases several show business veterans.

Leader of the pack is Kaye Ballard as Mother Superior.  She is ably assisted by the head of novices, Darlene Love as Sister Mary Hubert.  The meek but confused Sister Amnesia (so called because she can't remember her name) is profiled by Mimi Hines.  Lee Meriwether is the streetwise Sister Robert Ann.  And Georgia Engel, forever known as Georgette from her "Mary Tyler Moore" days, is the nun who’s still a little girl longing to join the ballet.

The show-within-a-show takes place in the auditorium of Mount St. Helen's High School, which, coincidentally, is decorated for the drama society's production of "Grease." Creator Dan Goggin has sprinkled the script with a few timely references (DVD players, plasma TVs) and augmented things a bit with several inside jokes to accommodate the talents and credits of the players.

Ballard is Mother Earth of the company-- nurturing, guiding and acting a little silly when the time is right.  (As it is at the end of the first act when she accidentally gets high.  Emphasis on the silly.) In addition to having some fun in a cooking segment, she and Love (left) do a sweet job with “Just A Coupl’a Sisters.”

Love, of "He's A Rebel" fame, sings a few bars of her own big hit during the show, and then raises the roof with an all-out version of "Holier Than Thou."

Meriwether is a riot when she takes to the spotlight to do impressions by contorting her veils into a series of outlandish positions.  She covers everything from Heidi and Princess Leia to Norma Desmond and The Phantom of the Opera.

Although Georgia Engel's singing voice is on the thin side, she relies on her happy feet to put across several numbers including one which finds the good sister in ballet slippers dancing on pointe and another in which she’s a dying swan in “Nun Lake.”

The sweetheart of the company is Mimi Hines (center, with Engel and Meriwether) as Sister Mary Amnesia.  As the nun in a mental cloud, she makes her entrance with a completely vacant look on her face.  So convincing, in fact, that you momentarily wonder if they've sadly miscast someone who should be sitting quietly somewhere.

But then a twinkle appears in her eye and a smile creeps across her face.   When that big Broadway singing voice booms out of her, it's like a hug across the stage lights.  She conducts a "class quiz" with the audience, presents her own personal puppet act (joined by the aptly titled Sister Mary Marionette) and scores with several nice musical moments including “So You Want to Be A Nun” and the country ballad, "I Could Have Gone To Nashville."

The cast is rounded out by Bambi Jones and Deborah Del Mastro. Del Mastro will be familiar to "Nunsense" fans as she's has been in all five "Nunsense" productions including "Nuncrackers" and "Nunsense Jamboree."

Overall, the evening is meant to plug into memories of Catholic school-days of long (long!) ago.  Clearly those of us who remember when nuns actually dressed in black habits will get more out of it than anybody else. 

"Nunsense" is at The Wilbur Theatre, 246 Tremont Street in Boston, through February 15. For information, call 617-931-2787.

-- OnStage Boston

2/13/04