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Posted on Sat, May 19, 2012 : 6:01 a.m.

Encore Theatre 'Nunsense' might not get you in the habit (of laughing)

By Jenn McKee

Nunsense - mary.jpg

Mary Rumman in "Nunsense"

Photo by Encore Theatre

The big punchline in the opening number of the musical “Nunsense,” now playing at Dexter’s Encore Theatre, is that the show is “habit-forming.”

And while there have, indeed, been six sequels to Dan Goggin’s original, 1985 cabaret-turned-musical—demonstrating that the song’s claim has proven to be true for many theatergoers over the years - Encore’s two-hour production of the first “Nunsense” failed to inspire much devotion in me.

Indeed, the show feels uneven and oddly inert, despite its darkly wacky premise: after the Little Sisters of Hoboken’s cook—Sister Julia, child of God, of course—accidentally, fatally poisons all but 19 of the order, 5 of the nuns gamely stage on a variety show in an attempt to pay for the last few burials.

Director Barbara Cullen oversees the production, which seems to plow through the show’s connecting-tissue dialogue in order to get to the next song. Actors often deliver Goggin’s jokes not only without punch or emphasis, but with an almost apologetic air. For this reason, many of the jokes didn’t land particularly well on opening night. The overall effect communicated a lack of confidence in, and commitment to, the material.

“Nunsense” also never quite gels in regard to its vocal performances. Madison Deadman (young, ballet dancing Sister Mary Leo) and Amy Smidebush (second-in-command Sister Mary Hubert) are both classic showbiz belters, wholly filling the Encore with their accomplished, polished voices; Sue Booth (Sister Robert Anne, a tough Brooklyn native) and Mary Rumman (Sister Amnesia, who I also thought of as Sister Edith Bunker thanks to Rumman’s expression, voice and inflection) are impressive singers in their own right, but their voices are soft enough that music director George P. Cullinan’s piano sometimes threatens to overwhelm them. Barbara Scanlon (Sister Mary Regina, Mother Superior) fits squarely in the middle, seemingly opting to rein in her voice a bit to fit the space.

This variety of vocal styles results in a few balance problems when the actresses sing together (particularly in “The Drive In,” in which the bass line gets temporary primacy). But Deadman and Smidebush consistently provided opening night’s vocal highlights; and Smidebush’s fantastic rendering of the show’s sublimely soulful gospel topper, “Holier Than Thou,” brought the house down, as it should. (Smidebush thus became, in my mind, “Sister Christina Aguilera.”)

Regarding the show’s technical elements, Daniel Walker designed the (necessarily spotlight-heavy) lighting; Sharon Larkey Urick designed the nuns’ habits and accessories (loved Sister Robert’s Converses); and Leo Babcock designed the set, which is made to look like the backdrop for a high school production of “Grease.”

One scene in “Nunsense” features Mother Superior doing impressions, and includes the line Katherine Hepburn delivers repeatedly in classic movie, “Stage Door”: “The calla lilies are in bloom again.” In the film, Hepburn struggles with how to convey her character’s painful emotions through seemingly pedestrian dialogue.

Similarly, Encore’s “Nunsense” labors mightily to unlock the show’s inherently whimsical sense of fun. That it falls short demonstrates no failure of faith, but rather an artistic miscalculation.

"Nunsense" continues through June 10. For tickets, see the Encore website.

Jenn McKee is the entertainment digital journalist for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at jennmckee@annarbor.com or 734-623-2546, and follow her on Twitter @jennmckee.

Comments

Halter

Sat, May 19, 2012 : 9:56 a.m.

I'm not sure it's a failure of this production, or all productions, but Nunsense is (to put it politely) a dumb show. Audiences love it. And it seems to fit with Encore's mission of making as much money as possible at the expense of real musical theater pieces that would draw in a different audience.

B Ellis

Sun, May 20, 2012 : 4:58 p.m.

Union actors (AEA, SAG/AFTRA) do their best to make a living acting. They don't work in community theatres because 1) the union will not let them work for free 2) they need to make a living, not donate their talents 3) most DO work in their chosen field and no longer work for free (do YOU work for free?) While the Encore only hires a few AEA actors, it is providing much needed income for those otherwise unemployed actors. There are not a lot of musicals produced at professional theatres because they are so expensive to produce - community theatres produce them by selling tickets to pay for the royalties (but don't manage to pay their talent). Professional theatres somehow manage to do BOTH - AND the Encore's ticket prices remain reasonable. And as far as "making as much money as possible" - because they DO pay some of their actors, you will find that ticket sales don't come close to covering costs, and that instead they, like every other single non-profit professional theatre in this area, depends upon grants, donations, and ad-sales to pay the bills. And even then, they're most likely not profitable (professional theatre VERY RARELY IS). And until such time as the paying audience will actually fill the seats for those "edgier shows" (and so far, they haven't), the Encore, like most every other theatre, will do fare that brings people in and keeps the lights on.

B Ellis

Sun, May 20, 2012 : 4:45 p.m.

I'm not going to debate you Halter, on the quality or choice of shows at The Encore because I think we are coming at this from completely different points of view. To begin with, you're comparing a professional, AEA contract theatre company with community theatre companies. What's the difference? The professional theatre company (even if it isn't union based) PAYS their actors - or at the very least, their union actors. The community theatres do not. Is it a huge paycheck? Nope. But it's a lot more than the $0 paid to the community theatre folks. AND it stacks up against the $$'s currently being paid at other AEA theatres of similar size in the area. It's not a perfect contract - it doesn't include what AEA folks call "insurance weeks" (that is credit towards the minimum weeks you need to qualify for healthcare through the union) BUT it does pay the actor a salary, makes a contribution towards their union pension AND for the out-of-towners, pays a small per diem. (cont)

Halter

Sat, May 19, 2012 : 9:27 p.m.

What's been good? Their remarkable THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA -- the best musical of any theater around here last year -- FOREVER PLAID -- just right in their black box THE 25th ANUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE -- terrific all around

Halter

Sat, May 19, 2012 : 9:25 p.m.

Evita -- failed all around and deflated the expectations for this company Oklahoma - cramped and claustraphobic on their tiny stage Annie - was abyssmal Sound of Music -- NEVER should have been done in a black box, and it was awful It's a Wonderful Life -- absolute dreck both years, and glad its off their schedule for this year The Music Man? -- cramped and uneven, not as good as other local productions have been

Halter

Sat, May 19, 2012 : 9:23 p.m.

Generalized and Short sighted????? It's a specific and direct comment: The Encore bills itself as a professional musical theater company -- instead, they have developed the worst kind of community theater experience....Sure, the sets look nice and the leads are generally good, but they pick shows that pander to a community theater audience and NOT to any type of professional musical theater...they pick shows that don't work in their small black box theater, but do them anyway because they make money...In fact, Dexter Community Players right down the road do edgier and usually more interesting shows...and certainly Encore shouldn't be competing with Ann Arbor Civic Theater if they want to be "professional" but even A2CT runs rings around Encore as far as material performed...Generalized and Shortsighted???? See next reply since this will be too long.

Dexter

Sat, May 19, 2012 : 8:44 p.m.

Making a generalized and short-sighted comment about a company that has brought entertainment and business to a small town is just not fair. Maybe every show is not a critical masterpiece, but the people who come to The Encore have fun, and enjoy their experiences.