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RE:Comedy Continues With Hedgerow's Nunsense - 8:16AM on 6/17/2009
The Little Sisters of Hoboken are in h u g e t r o u b l e a n d need everyone?s help. A terrible accident has left 52 of their order dead. Sadly, the S i s t e r s o n l y h a v e enough funds to bury 48 of the deceased leaving four poor souls without a burial place. But the public can help by going to Hedgerow Theatre, 64 Rose Valley
Road, Rose Valley, and supporting the Sisters with laughter, clapping and cheers.
Hedgerow Theatre continues to bring quality comedy performances with their latest musical, Nunsense
book, music and lyrics by Dan Goggin, now on stage until June 28. After a deadly bout of food poisoning drastically depletes the order, and Mother Superior spends part o f t h e b u r i a l m o n e y o n a TiVo, four sad Sisters are left to preservation in the convent freezers. Not a good place to be when the health inspector
shows up! In order to raise funds and send the nuns on to their final resting place, Sister Mary Regina decides to rally the remaining order and host a benefit in the school auditorium. Singing, dancing and convent anecdotes are on tap for a delightful evening but of course all does not go as planned and the results are hilarious.
Micki Sharpe not only did a magnificent job directing the show but also leads the charge as Mother Superior,
Sister Mary Regina. With ?over 1,500 performances of the show under her veil,? Ms. Sharpe is well equipped
to guide the Sisters through the benefit. Her comedic timing and mannerisms are quite amusing and the scene
right before intermission is possibly the funniest in the show. Hedgerow veteran Susan Wefel plays second
in command Sister Hubert delightfully. She is droll and sometimes sarcastic, clearly longing for the position of
Mother Superior, but all done with humor and subtlety.
Sarah J. Gafgen spectacularly plays street wise Sister Robert Anne, a tough nun with a heart of gold.
Called to the vocation at an early age, Sister Robert left the streets of Brooklyn for the convent halls and while her wit and secular knowledge often get her in trouble with Regina, it gives the audience a treat. Maggie Cogswell is outstanding as Novice Sister Mary Leo. Ms. Cogswell?s dance numbers are terrific and the trouble she causes with Robert Anne is comical.
Heidi Starr rounds out the cast as ditzy Sister Mary Amnesia. Poor Amnesia lost her memory after a crucifix fell
o n h e r h e a d a n d s h o r t l y thereafter joined the Little Sisters. Ms. Starr is fantastic. Her singing is wonderful and she plays up the clueless nature of Amnesia with funny results.
The dance numbers, under the musical direction of Ms. Sharpe, are up beat and nicely choreographed. The singing is also very well done, especially the ensemble numbers, although it is sometimes hard to hear the
individual solos over the music. Costumes by Cathie Miglionico are wonderful and Zoran Kovcic?s set is well done. Sound and lighting designer Michael Chittenden also did a great job, the interaction between the nuns and the spotlight was particularly funny.
One of the greatest appeals of Hedgerow Theatre is the intimacy of the stage and the ability of the Hedgerow cast to include the audience in the show. Nunsense is no different and the Sisters welcome the audience from the first. Also, there is a quiz after the second song so be sure to pay attention and you could win a fabulous prize!
For tickets or information, call 610-565-4211 or visit www.hedgerowtheatre. org. It would be sinful to miss such an excellent show!
Reviewed by Christina Perryman for www.delconewsnetwork.com
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