Well-Worn 'Nunsense' at Porthouse Theatre Doesn't Quite Hit the Heavens

In the vast world of musical comedies, there is one undeniable truism: The older the jokes are, the better the production must be. And many of the jokes in Nunsense, the clerical warhorse now at the Porthouse Theatre, were already old when it opened 40 years ago.

But that doesn't matter when the actors are inventive and talented enough to make the tunes feel fresh and the gags snappy. In short, the material created by Dan Goggin (book, music and lyrics) needs a lot of help for the show to achieve lift-off. But this Porthouse production doesn't fully come alive until the last rousing gospel number.

If you're unfamiliar with Nunsense, suffice to say that the story revolves around a ghastly premise: The 52 nuns of The Little Sisters of Hoboken who met their Maker due to a vicious vichyssoise dish cooked up by a fellow sister. But their meager funds ran out before all the victims could be buried. So, the mortal remains of the last four departed sisters are still chilling in a freezer until the convent comes up with the money to bury them.

The money-making scheme they choose is staging a variety show featuring the Mother Superior and four other sisters. This is when the actors and director are supposed to take over and turn Goggin's mediocre material into magic.

The performers in this version give it their all under the direction of Eric van Baars, but the vaudeville-act format, with each sister taking her turn in the spotlight, means that every scene essentially starts over as we meet the different sisters and learn of their talents and peculiar challenges. While each of the performers has a shining moment or two, the whole enterprise never coalesces and builds the momentum necessary to let the laughs flow as they might.

As Sister Mary Regina, the Mother Superior, Sandra Ross conveys a certain kind of lithe authority. But she plays too many early moments for giggles, undercutting the later scene when she accidentally takes a whiff of a substance that makes her high and giddy. As a result, the contrast isn't as sharp as it should be, lessening the hilarity of this signature moment.

Her sidekick Sister Mary Hubert, Mistress of Novices, is handled by Colleen Longshaw Jackson, who brings down the house with that climactic stem-winder, "Holier Than Thou," the best tune in a remarkably undistinguished song list. But up till then, the relationship between Regina and Hubert never comes into focus so their duet, "Just a Coupla Sisters," lacks the heft it seeks.

The other three sisters each have their own shtick. Sister Mary Leo wants to be the first nun/ballerina, and Becca Bailey has some lovely moments in her toe shoes. But the playwright never bothers to make much of her dream. Sister Mary Amnesia (Lara Troyer) just wants to remember her name. The role is clearly constructed to be amusing and poignant, but director van Baars doesn't maximize its comedic potential. Overall, not enough risks are taken to flesh out these thin characterizations.

The most successful sister in this saintly 'hood is Theresa Hall, who grabs her character Sister Robert Anne by the scruff of her neck and shakes it till laughs fall out. And while all sing well, Hall has the chops to give her songs, such as "I Just Want to be a Star," that musical comedy zhuzh.

Since its inception, Nunsense has birthed a lot of laughs along with six sequels and three spin-offs, proving its enduring popularity. But this iteration leaves too many small stage moments unattended to keep this quintet of nuns flying high.

Nunsense
Through July 13 at Porthouse Theatre, Blossom Music Center Campus, 3143 O'Neil Road, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44223, 330-672-3884, kent.edu/porthouse

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