This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations .(October 2018) |
Sister Act | |
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Created by | Paul Rudnick |
Original work | Sister Act (1992) |
Owner | The Walt Disney Company |
Years | 1992–present |
Films and television | |
Film(s) |
|
Theatrical presentations | |
Musical(s) | Sister Act |
Audio | |
Soundtrack(s) |
Sister Act is an American media franchise created by Paul Rudnick and currently consisting of two films: Sister Act (1992), Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993), and a Broadway musical.
When a lively lounge singer Deloris Van Cartier (Whoopi Goldberg) sees her mobster beau, Vince LaRocca (Harvey Keitel), commit murder, she is relocated for her protection. Set up in the guise of a nun in a California convent, Deloris proceeds to upend the quiet lives of the resident sisters. In an effort to keep her out of trouble, they assign Deloris to the convent's choir, an ensemble that she soon turns into a vibrant and soulful act that gains widespread attention.
In the sequel, Las Vegas performer Deloris Van Cartier (Whoopi Goldberg) is surprised by a visit from her nun friends, including Sister Mary Patrick (Kathy Najimy) and Sister Mary Lazarus (Mary Wickes). She soon finds out that she is needed in her nun guise as Sister Mary Clarence to help teach music to teens at a troubled school in hopes of keeping the facility from closing at the hands of Mr. Crisp (James Coburn), a callous administrator.
On June 3, 2015, a remake was confirmed to be in the works with Legally Blonde screenwriters Kirsten Smith and Karen McCullah writing. [1]
When asked in a 2013 appearance on Watch What Happens Live about acting in a sequel, Whoopi Goldberg initially refused, [2] citing the passing of so many of her nun co-stars, stating "it's not Sister Act without them." [2] But during a 2015 appearance on Watch What Happens Live, she changed her stance to a maybe, [3] stating:
I generally say no to that, because so many of the nuns have passed and it just wouldn't feel right for me. I'm kind of old for it now. That's not to say I wouldn't do it, but it feels like there's a new generation for Sister Act and so maybe I can be a nun now. [3] [4]
After a Broad City cameo in 2016, Goldberg expressed doubts about a sequel based on missing cast members, but said she thought it would be fun and likable. [5] In May 2017, she affirmed her desire for the third film to happen, [6] adding in July that she would like to direct it and had confidence it would be made. [7] On December 7, 2018, it was confirmed that Regina Y. Hicks and Karin Gist were hired to write the script to Sister Act 3 with it being planned for a release on Disney+. [8] Goldberg confirmed again on October 7, 2020, during an appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden that she is working on the sequel and wants to bring as many of the original cast back for it as possible. [9]
In December 2020, it was revealed that Goldberg had officially signed on to return as Delores and that Tyler Perry would be producing and directing the film. [10] [11] [12]
On the October 6, 2022 episode of The View, actress Kathy Najimy stated that she had not heard anything formal about Sister Act 3; but that she had "heard rumblings about it." When she asked Whoopi Goldberg if Sister Act 3 was actually happening, Goldberg replied: "It's happening"; but did not publicly include or invite Najimy to be a part of it as she had with Tyler Perry and Jenifer Lewis live on the show days earlier. [13] Goldberg did imply that Hocus Pocus 2 did help in getting Sister Act 3 the greenlight. [14]
A reworked version of the musical is expected to debut at the Curve, Leicester starring Brenda Edwards and produced by Whoopi Goldberg and Jamie Wilson. [15]
The musical Sister Act , directed by Peter Schneider and choreographed by Marguerite Derricks, premiered at the Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena, California on October 24, 2006 and closed on December 23, 2006. [16] It broke records, grossing $1,085,929 to become the highest grossing show ever at that venue. [17] The production then moved to the Alliance Theater in Atlanta, Georgia, where it ran from January 17 to February 25, 2007. [18]
The musical then opened at the West End at the London Palladium on June 2, 2009, following previews from May 7. The production was directed by Peter Schneider produced by Whoopi Goldberg together with the Dutch company Stage Entertainment, and choreographed by Anthony Van Laast, with set design by Klara Zieglerova, costume design by Lez Brotherston, and lighting design by Natasha Katz. [19] [20] Following a year-long search, 24-year-old actress Patina Miller was cast as Deloris, alongside Sheila Hancock as the Mother Superior, Ian Lavender as Monsignor Howard, Chris Jarman as Shank, Ako Mitchell as Eddie, Katie Rowley Jones as Sister Mary Robert, Claire Greenway as Sister Mary Patrick, and Julia Sutton as Sister Mary Lazarus. [21] The musical received four Laurence Olivier Awards nominations including Best Musical. [22] On October 30, 2010, the show played its final performance at the London Palladium and transferred to Broadway. [23]
The musical opened at the Broadway Theater on April 20, 2011, with previews beginning March 24, 2011. [24] Jerry Zaks directed the Broadway production [25] with Douglas Carter Bean rewriting the book. [26] Patina Miller, who originated the role of Deloris in the West End production, reprised her role, making her Broadway debut. She was later replaced by Raven-Symoné, also making her Broadway debut. The original Broadway cast featured Victoria Clark (Mother Superior), Fred Applegate (Monsignor), Sarah Bolt, (Sister Mary Patrick), Chester Gregory (Eddie), Kingsley Leggs (Curtis), Marla Mindelle (Sister Mary Robert), and Audrie Neenan (Sister Mary Lazarus). [27] The musical received five Tony Award nominations including Best Musical. [28]
The musical closed in August 2012 after playing 561 performances.
This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in more than two films in the series.
Characters | Films | Musical (2006–present) | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sister Act (1992) | Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993) | West End (2009) | Broadway (2011) | 1st UK Tour (2011) | 1st US Tour (2012) | 2nd US tour (2014) | 2nd UK tour (2016) | Manchester (2022) | London (2022) | 3rd UK tour (2022) | |
Deloris Wilson/Delores Van Cartier/Sister Mary Clarence | Whoopi Goldberg Isis Carmen Jones Y | Whoopi Goldberg | Patina Miller | Patina Miller Raven-Symoné (replacement) [29] | Cynthia Erivo | Ta'Rea Campbell | Kerissa Arrington | Alexandra Burke | Sandra Marvin | Beverley Knight | Sandra Marvin |
Reverend Mother Superior | Maggie Smith | Sheila Hancock Whoopi Goldberg (replacement) Sally Dexter (replacement) | Victoria Clark Carolee Carmello (replacement) | Denise Black | Hollis Resnik Lynne Wintersteller (replacement) | Maggie Clennon Reberg | Karen Mann | Jennifer Saunders | Lesley Joseph | ||
Sister Mary Patrick | Kathy Najimy | Claire Greenway | Sarah Bolt | Laurie Scarth | Florie Bagel | Sarah Michelle Cuc | Susannah Van Den Berg | Keala Settle | Catherine Millson | ||
Sister Mary Robert | Wendy Makkena Andrea Robinson S | Katie Rowley Jones | Marla Mindelle | Julie Atherton | Lael Van Keuren | Emily Kay Schrader | Sarah Goggin | Lizzie Bea | |||
Sister Mary Lazarus | Mary Wickes | Julia Sutton | Audrie J. Neenan | Jacqueline Clark | Diane J. Findlay | Nancy Evans | Rosemary Ashe | Lesley Joseph | Anne Smith | ||
Lt. Eddie Souther | Bill Nunn | Ako Mitchell | Chester Gregory | Edward Baruwa | E. Clayton Cornelious Chester Gregory (replacement) | Lamont O'Neal | Jon Robyns | Clive Rowe | |||
Vince LaRocca | Harvey Keitel | ||||||||||
Joey/Bones | Robert Miranda | Nicolas Colicos | John Treacy Egan | Daniel Stockton | Todd A. Horman | F. Tyler Burnet | Samuel Morgan-Grahame | Tom Hopcroft | |||
Willy | Richard Portnow | ||||||||||
Sister Alma | Rose Parenti | ||||||||||
Monsignor Bishop O'Hara/Howard | Joseph Maher | Ian Lavender | Fred Applegate | Michael Starke | Richard Pruitt | Gordon Gray | Tim Maxwell-Clarke | Graham Mcduff | |||
Clarkson | Jim Beaver | ||||||||||
Michelle | Jenifer Lewis | ||||||||||
Tina | Charlotte Crossley | ||||||||||
Lewanda | A.J. Johnson | ||||||||||
Immaculata | Lois de Banzie | ||||||||||
Ernie | Max Grodenchik | ||||||||||
Henry Parker | Joseph G. Medalis | ||||||||||
Larry Merrick | Michael Durrell | ||||||||||
Connie LaRocca | Toni Kalem | ||||||||||
Pope John Paul II | Eugene Greytak | ||||||||||
Detective Tate | Guy Boyd | ||||||||||
Father Maurice | Barnard Hughes | ||||||||||
Mr. Crisp | James Coburn | ||||||||||
Father Ignatius | Michael Jeter | ||||||||||
Florence Watson | Sheryl Lee Ralph | ||||||||||
Joey Bustamente | Robert Pastorelli | ||||||||||
Father Wolfgang | Thomas Gottschalk | ||||||||||
Rita Louise Watson | Lauryn Hill | ||||||||||
Father Thomas | Brad Sullivan | ||||||||||
Maria | Alanna Ubach | ||||||||||
Ahmal | Ryan Toby | ||||||||||
Sketch | Ron Johnson | ||||||||||
Margaret | Jennifer Love Hewitt | ||||||||||
Frankie | Devin Kamin | ||||||||||
Tyler Chase | Christian Fitzharris | ||||||||||
Tanya | Tanya Blount | ||||||||||
Marcos | Mehran Marcos Sedghi | ||||||||||
Curtis Jackson/Shank | Chris Jarman Simon Webbe (replacement) | Kingsley Leggs | Cavin Cornwall | Kingsley Leggs | Kolby Kindle | Aaron Lee Lambert | Jeremy Secomb | ||||
TJ | Thomas Goodridge | Demond Green | Tyrone Huntley | Charles Thomas | Lawrence Dandridge | Sandy Grigelis | Bradley Judge | ||||
Pablo/Dinero | Ivan De Freitas | Caesar Samayoa | Gavin Alex | Ernie Pruneda | Nicholas Alexander Rodriguez | Ricky Rojas | Damian Buhagiar |
Crew/Detail | Sister Act (1992) | Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993) |
---|---|---|
Director | Emile Ardolino | Bill Duke |
Producer(s) | Scott Rudin Teri Schwartz | Scott Rudin Dawn Steel |
Writer(s) | Joseph Howard | James Orr Jim Cruickshank Judi Ann Mason |
Cinematographer(s) | Adam Greenberg | Oliver Wood |
Composer | Marc Shaiman | Marc Shaiman Miles Goodman |
Running time | 100 minutes [30] | 107 minutes [31] |
Film | Release date | Box office gross | Box office ranking | Budget | Ref(s) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
United States opening weekend | North America | Other territories | Worldwide | All time North America | All time worldwide | ||||
Sister Act | May 29, 1992 | $11,894,587 | $139,605,150 | $92,000,000 | $231,605,150 | #454 | — | $31 million | [32] [33] |
Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit | December 10, 1993 | $7,569,219 | $57,319,029 | $67,300,000 | $125,619,029 | #1,552 | — | $38 million | [34] [35] |
Totals | $196,924,179 | $159,300,000 | $357,224,179 | $69 million | — | ||||
Film | Critical | Public | |
---|---|---|---|
Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | CinemaScore | |
Sister Act | 75% (28 reviews) [36] | 51 (23 reviews) [37] | A [38] |
Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit | 18% (38 reviews) [39] | 38 (23 reviews) [40] | A− [38] |
Caryn Elaine Johnson, known professionally as Whoopi Goldberg, is an American actor, comedian, author, and television personality. A recipient of numerous accolades, she is one of 19 entertainers to receive the complete EGOT series of awards. In 2001, she received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
Kathy Ann Najimy is an American actress and activist. She was first nationally known for her feminist play The Kathy and Mo Show, which she wrote and performed with Mo Gaffney. On film, she is best known for her roles in Soapdish (1991), Sister Act (1992) and its sequel (1993), Hocus Pocus (1993) and its sequel (2022), Hope Floats (1998), The Wedding Planner (2001), Rat Race (2001), WALL-E (2008), Step Up 3D (2010), The Guilt Trip (2012), Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas (2013), A Christmas Melody (2015), Dumplin' (2018), Music (2021), and Single All the Way (2021). On television, she is best known for her portrayal of Olive Massery on the NBC sitcom Veronica's Closet (1997–2000) and for voicing Peggy Hill on the animated television series King of the Hill (1997–2010).
Sister Act is a 1992 American musical crime comedy film directed by Emile Ardolino and written by Paul Rudnick. It stars Whoopi Goldberg as a lounge singer forced to join a convent after being placed in a witness protection program. It also features Maggie Smith, Kathy Najimy, Wendy Makkena, Mary Wickes, and Harvey Keitel.
Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit is a 1993 American musical comedy film, directed by Bill Duke, and released by Touchstone Pictures. It is the sequel to the 1992 film Sister Act, and is loosely based on the life of Crenshaw High School choir instructor Iris Stevenson. The story sees Whoopi Goldberg reprising her role as Deloris van Cartier, as she finds herself coming to the aid of her nun friends who need her help to save her old school. Maggie Smith, Kathy Najimy, Wendy Makkena, and Mary Wickes also reprised their roles in the sequel.
Jenifer Jeanette Lewis is an American actress. She began her career appearing in Broadway musicals and worked as a back-up singer for Bette Midler before appearing in films Beaches (1988) and Sister Act (1992). Lewis is known for playing roles of mothers in the films What's Love Got to Do With It (1993), Poetic Justice (1993), The Preacher's Wife (1996), The Brothers (2001), The Cookout (2004), Think Like a Man (2012) and in the sequel Think Like a Man Too (2014), Baggage Claim (2013) and The Wedding Ringer (2015), as well as in The Temptations miniseries (1998).
Hocus Pocus is a 1993 American fantasy comedy film directed by Kenny Ortega from a screenplay by Mick Garris and Neil Cuthbert, and a story by David Kirschner and Garris. It follows a villainous comedic trio of witches who are inadvertently resurrected by a teenage boy in Salem, Massachusetts on Halloween night.
Disney Theatrical Productions Limited (DTP), also known as Disney on Broadway, is the stageplay and musical production company of the Disney Theatrical Group, a subsidiary of Disney Entertainment, a major division and business unit of The Walt Disney Company.
Wendy Rosenberg Makkena is an American actress best known for playing Sister Mary Robert in the film Sister Act (1992) and its sequel Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993) and numerous other roles in film and television. She has appeared regularly on stage since the 1980s. Her other film credits include Air Bud (1997), State of Play (2009), and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019).
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Sierra Marjory Boggess is an American theater actress, singer, and figure skater.
Sister Act is a musical based on the hit 1992 film of the same name with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Glenn Slater, book by Bill and Cheri Steinkellner, and additional material by Douglas Carter Beane. After having a regional premiere in 2006 in Pasadena, California, the original West End production opened on June 2, 2009, at the London Palladium, starring Patina Miller and produced by Stage Entertainment and Whoopi Goldberg. Subsequent productions have been seen on Broadway and in many countries around the world.
Patina Renea Miller is an American actress and singer. Miller's breakout role was as originating the role of disco diva wannabe Deloris Van Cartier in the 2009 West End and 2011 Broadway productions of Sister Act for which she earned Laurence Olivier Award and Tony Award nominations, respectively. She also starred as the Leading Player in the 2013 Broadway revival of Pippin, for which she won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. She later returned to Broadway to star as the Witch in the 2022 Broadway revival of the Stephen Sondheim musical Into the Woods.
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That's not to say I wouldn't do it, but it feels like there's a new generation for Sister Act and maybe I can be a nun now.
On Sister Act 3: So many of my nuns are gone. I would love to do it, but we sort of send it out on stage-world domination, it's in all these different countries. But should they ever make a three it would be lots of fun, I think people would like it.