‘Nunsensations:’ What happens on stage, stays on stage

June 15, 2023 Last Updated: June 15, 2023 01:11 AM Weekend Entertainment

Preview

The Musical Theatre Guild of Butler will present “Nunsensations” on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays June 16, 17, 18, 23, 24 and 25. Performers, top to bottom, include Paula Baptiste Floyd, Sr, Mary Annette, Sophie Lyons, Tammy Erkman and Robin Kriley. Submitted Photo

Your favorite sisters are back. “Nunsensations! The Nunsense Vegas Revue” written by Dan Goggin, the sixth show in the “Nunsense” series, takes the sisters on a Vegas adventure presented by the Musical Theatre Guild of Butler.

When a parishioner volunteers to donate $10,000 to the sisters’ school if they perform in a Las Vegas club, Mother Superior is hesitant to accept until she is convinced by the sisters that ‘what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.’

The show is run by longtime MTG members Patrick Erkman as the director, Barb Osche as the producer and assistant stage manager, and Christine Sanzotti Savannah as the music director.

“Vegas Revue” stars three MTG alumni and welcomes two new additions.

“It is always nice to do small ensemble shows because the chemistry is easier to get,” Patrick Erkman said. “If you don’t have the chemistry, then the show is doomed to fail.”

Paula Baptiste Floyd plays the Reverend Mother Regina. Her first role with MTG was in 1982 as Hodel in “Fiddler on the Roof.”

Robin Kriley began her 54-year career with MTG when she played Laurie in “Oklahoma.” Kriley plays Sister Hubert, the second in charge.

The role of Sister Robert Anne, the tough but loving nun, will be reprised by Tammy Erkman. Her first role on MTG’s stage was in the 2008 production of “Sweet Charity.”

New York University sophomore Sophie Lyons will play Sister Mary Paul, more commonly known as Sister Amnesia, the forgetful but lucky nun.

“Amnesia is a crazy character because in the original ‘Nunsense,’ she gets a cross dropped on her head and her memory is gone,” Lyons said. “In ‘Nunsensations,’ she has this memory of being a country star, but she is still not totally there … She brings some of the young, naive, innocent energy to the cast while the older members know more about Las Vegas than she does.”

Additionally, Lyons voices Sister Mary Annette, the sassy puppet with “colorful” language.

“I love doing the puppet number; that’s been really fun for me,” Lyons said. “I’ve never worked with a puppet before, so I’ve gotten to explore a lot of the puppet.”

Sister Leo, the dancing novice, will be played by Logan Andres, an acting student attending Slippery Rock University in the fall.

“My character is actually the youngest out of all of them, and she wants to bring something to the convent by dancing for the Lord,” Andres said. “She has a lot of anxieties where she is like, ‘What if I’m not going to be good enough?’ That (creates) a really great way for the sisters to lift her up.”

Andres describes her talents as dancing and acting in typical performances and has pushed herself to adapt to a singing role in musical theater.

“No matter what happens, I’m proud of myself for singing,” Andres said.

This will be Lyons’ and Andres’ first MTG production.

Patrick Erkman believes that having a mixed experience cast benefits both veteran and young performers, calling it “a free acting class.”

“When I (started) in 1982, some of the actors that were performing on stage, even though I was in the ensemble and stuff like that, I learned from watching them,” he said.

For first-time viewers of the “Nunsense” franchise, each nun’s back story will be shared at the start of the show, so no previous knowledge is necessary.

There is some audience participation with a greeting to the Reverend Mother at the start and with a game show during the first act.

“(Lyons) and I have a lot of fun with that, and I feel like you can see it when we are on stage,” Andres said. “We are having fun; I get to have my Vanna White moment.”