Nuns are coming to town for one night only.
"Sister Act" is coming to East Alabama Arts on Nov. 12 after being on national tour for less than a month. The group will begin their performance at 7:30 p.m.
"Sister Act" is a musical comedy about Deloris, who joins a convent in an effort to flee from her mobster boyfriend.
Renee Freeman of Liberia will play three parts in the show.
"She shares the role of Deloris with another actress named Kerissa Arrington," said Courtney Davis, marketing manager for Troika Entertainment, LLC. "Her traditional role is of Michelle, and then also an ensemble member."
Michelle is a backup vocalist for Deloris, who is in the first few scenes in the show. After Freeman plays Michelle, she changes into her habit to play a nun in the ensemble.
Freeman came to New York from West Africa when she was a toddler, according to her online bio.
Since then, she has played parts in "High School Musical," "Law & Order: SVU" and Broadway's rendition of "Aladdin."
"I didn't just want acting," Freeman said. "I didn't just want to sing. I didn't just want to dance. When I realized there's a whole musical world out there, such as Broadway shows and musical theater, I thought, that's the perfect way for me to sort of do everything I want to do."
When the "Sister Act" cast is on tour, Freeman said they spend a lot of the time on the tour bus.
Freeman said the cast always tries to go to the historical areas of the city and take in their culture when they have days off in certain cities.
According to Freeman, the place she feels the most comfortable on stage.
"It feels like home," Freeman said. "It feels like that thing you've always wanted to do your whole life, and you've dreamt about it your whole life and then you finally get to do it, and it feels like you're right where you're supposed to be."
Director of East Alabama Arts, Phillip Preston, said they chose "Sister Act" because it fit their criteria. He said their goal is to bring the best of all the arts there are, and when that area is Broadway, they focus on Tony Award-winning musicals they know the audience will like.
Preston said he saw "Sister Act" three years ago in New York during its original Broadway run.
"There's just so many fun things about this show, and we just kept finding ourselves doubled over in pain just from the laughter," Preston said.
Freeman said her favorite parts of the show are the humor and how much joy the performance brings their audience each night.
Freeman said she and the character Deloris have a lot in common.
"She's got so much moxie," Freeman said. "I do definitely feel that I'm someone who has the spirit of a fighter and someone who doesn't stop until I see what it is what I want, but, man, Deloris. To run away from someone who's trying to kill you, hide in a convent and then, you know, turn around and completely change the way that nuns live their lives -- it's a little crazy, isn't it?"
Davis described the show as having a fun 70s style that gets the audience on their feet.
Davis said Freeman is phenomenal in her role and adds a wonderful element to the production.
"You literally feel just such joy, and you walk out of the theater just feeling really fantastic," Davis said. "It just fills your spirit and your soul."
Tickets for the show are $49 for adults, $41 for seniors and $25 for students.
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