Review: Nunsense: The Mega-Musical by Mary Moody Northen Theatre
by Vanessa Hoang Hughes

The quirky premise of this quirky 1985 musical entertainment is that Sister Julia Child(*) of God accidentally poisoned fifty-two members of the convent. The remaining nine nuns put on a cabaret-style show at the local high school to raise funds for the burial of their sisters. Over the last forty years, Dan Groggin's creation has racked up more than 5,000 productions world-wide.

 

C. Patrick Gendusa directed the MMNT production with choreography by Laura Walberg. Lyn Koenning's musical direction showcased exemplary vocals. Each number was very pleasing to the ear, with blending and splendid harmonies. Notable choral melodies included “We’ve Got to Clean Out the Freezer” and “The Drive-In.”

 

 

Equity guest Amber Quick was an audience favorite as Reverend Mother Mary Regina, the uptight leader of the covenant who does her best to keep the show from falling apart. Her most hilarious moment came when the Rev. Mother accidentally got stoned on something called Rush. Quick's priceless improv styling had everyone in giggles, especially when a fly persistently crawled on her. Instead of simply shooing it away, Quick welcomed the fly into her bit, offering it some Rush too. Quick brought much-needed warmth and heart to the show, providing some particularly tender moments in her solo “Turn up the Spotlight.”

 

Gabrielle North's  powerful vocals stood out in the penultimate number “Holier Than Thou.”  Her breathtaking belts and riveting runs set the audience whooping and clapping. The song’s message wasn’t very nun-ish, but it did a good job of concluding the show on an exciting note. North’s Mother Hubert was the silly, slightly salty #2 to the Reverend Mother. Although their characters had their differences at the start, Quick and North came together in wholesome friendship in “Just a Coupl’a Sisters.’’

 

Equity Guest Rachel Pallante played Sister Robert Anne, the jealous understudy to Reverend Mother Who “Just Want(s) to Be a Star.” Pallante charmed the audience with  goofy antics, a Brooklyn accent, and a plethora of solos. They ranged from a ballad reminiscing about her days in Catholic school to a hilarious belt about longing for stardom.

 

 

Annika Roberts won the audience’s heart as Sister Amnesia, the ditsy nun who'd lost her memory after getting hit on the head with a crucifix. In numbers “So You Want to Be a Nun” and “I Could Have Gone to Nashville,” Roberts gave a mixture of innocence, silliness, and impressive high notes that won every heart. Elsa Sanchez-Tolentino played Sister Leo, an eager nun with a passion for dance; her pirouettes and chaînés delighted watchers.

 

A special shoutout to Jackson Childs’ Father Virgil. His was a small role, but I found myself tracking him during every ensemble number. Childs manifested astounding dedication to his schtik. One standout moment was his rockstar head-banging in “Holier Than Thou.”

 

 

Mary Moody Northen Theater offers a theater in the round (well, in the square) with elevated platforms protruding at the corners. Leilah Stewart's design painted the main stage as a gymnasium floor. The platforms consisted of a bedroom, a backdrop painted “Mount Saint Helen’s School,” and part of a set for Grease: the Musical left over from a school production. The scenic crew must have spent a lot of time painting it, but the Grease platform served a single joke, when the Reverend Mother mistook Grease for Vaseline.

 

This production had exceptional performers, but Goggin's long-running script, a favorite of community theatres, is lackluster. The loose plot has an unsatisfying resolution. The stakes are set up from the get-go, but the show veers off the plot in favor of fluffy musical numbers, pure vaudeville, and scenes that provoke frivolous laughter without progressing the action. There's nothing wrong with zany farce, but it must have a solid plot with compelling stakes to drive it forward. In Goggin's silly world, conflicts arise, are forgotten, then arise once more, only to be resolved with a single song. Take the rivalry between Sister Hubert and the Reverend Mother: “Just a Coupl’a Sisters” ends it without struggle or bargaining of any kind.

 

When in doubt, do as the Romans did: bring down a deus ex machina. The nuns' goofy, hopeless fundraiser becomes irrelevant when they win the lottery. Literally. (In the story.) They celebrate their financial win, sing a song, and the show ends without the nuns putting in any real work to achieve their goal.

 

Perhaps this script would have been more riveting if the audience themselves had taken some of that Rush.

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Editor's note: One of Goggin's first gags in his 1985 script was this play on the name of Julia Child, the author and televison personality celebrated and widely followed from the 1960's through the 1990's. She brought the art of cooking into the average U.S. home. 

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Nunsense: The Mega-Musical
by Dan Goggin
Mary Moody Northen Theatre

February 13 - 23, 2025

Mary Moody Northen Theatre, St. Edward's University, Austin