Many of us grew up watching “Sister Act” and being engulfed by the comical moments and captivated by the mesmerizing talent of the not-so-average nuns. Now, the film has been brought to life in a Broadway production, which will play at the Adrienne Arsht Center from April 14 to 19. I had the pleasure of speaking with Kerissa Arrington, who plays Delores aka Sister Mary Clarence in the show, about her journey of earning this highly sought after role.
Can you talk about your character?
“I’m playing the role that Whoopi Goldberg originally played in the movie: Sister Mary Clarence. In the beginning of the movie, she’s just a feisty firecracker and she wants to be a disco diva who sings in nightclubs and eventually become a star. She witnesses a murder, and she’s placed in a convent to hide from the person who committed the crime. The convent is where she finds her voice and also directs a choir. A lot of things that are similar to the movie in the play. You just have to come see it to see the rest.”
Did you ever think you would star in the Broadway production?
“Actually, before I started rehearsals, I had never seen the movie all the way through, so I had no idea I would be doing this. I actually have a friend, who told me about the audition, and I ended up going and it ended up happening for me. I definitely didn’t see this in my plans, but I did see myself performing and singing on stage, so it all worked out.”
Can you describe your journey leading up to getting this role? How did you get started?
“I’ve always had a love for singing. I’ve been singing since I was a little girl in my church. When I got to middle school, I joined the choir, and in high school I was in theater and I did a lot of plays and I really loved it. My first musical was ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and that was just such a great experience. After that, I went to college in San Antonio, Texas, and I worked professionally at Six Flags and SeaWorld as a singer and dancer. So, I’ve just been doing this for a while. I kind of stopped for a little bit. I went to nursing school and my friend called me and was like ‘You gotta come audition. This is perfect for you.’ So, I went and auditioned and here I am.”
What’s is like touring?
“It’s fun. It’s definitely something I probably would have never done had I not been on this tour. You get to see a lot of places you necessarily wouldn’t have seen. We’re going to Alaska in a couple of weeks, and that’s a place I would have never planned on going, so the tour is allowing me to do that. Also, we’re going to Tokyo, Japan. It’s just a nice opportunity to see things and do things you typically wouldn’t do.”
How long did you train for your part?
“We started rehearsal Sept. 1 and we opened Oct. 14, so that was about six weeks of rehearsal. I do a little bit of running and cardio and at first I was not totally 100 percent prepared for the role, because it’s a really high-energy show. A lot of people don’t realize that the musical itself is a lot of moving, a lot of dancing, so you really have to have stamina.”
Are you able to relate with your character in any way?
“I would say so. Delores learns a lot about herself in the play. For me, through my journey, I’ve learned so much about what really matters in life, and I think part of playing her is revealing that part of the character to the audience.”
How is it working with your cast mates?
“It’s fun. Everyone has such a good time together. This is one of the best casts I’ve ever been a part of because everyone is so supportive and easy to work with, so we haven’t had any issues. You can have that with performing: people get into it and some people have egos and so on and so forth. But that’s not the case with this performance, and that’s what makes it easy and such a pleasure to do.”
Is there anything else you’d like people to know about you?
“Come out to the show. It’s a family event for all ages — older people, young people, middle age, college students. Everybody should come out because it’s a really good time. It’s something that they’re not going to expect and they’re also going to enjoy.”
Photo Credit: Broadwayworld.com
