Singing nuns up to all kinds of fun in 'Nunsense'
by Pam Doyle
Once in a while, everyone needs a little Nunsense in their lives. Right now, you can join the wacky Little Sisters of Hoboken as they perform the madcap musical comedy, all about the joys of convent life, at Oh Canada, Eh? Dinner Theatre in Canmore.
The show, featuring five talented actors from across Alberta, continues its run Dec. 2 and 3, 9 and 10 and 16 and 17. Local director J.P. Thibodeau is excited about the theatre moving into its first winter musical season.
"I could not be more proud of this new venture," Thibodeau said. "I have seen many things come and go and am happy to be a part of something that I believe will be a mainstay here in the Bow Valley."
The musical satirizes convent life, with actors fully outfitted in the black habits of nuns. The show's hilarious premise is about a benefit revue put on by the Sisters to raise money needed to bury the last four of 52 nuns who died from botulism, thanks to the bad culinary work of one of the sisters.
The show opens with a prayer, the nuns portraying a solemn and typical moment in their somber convent. Don't let this fool you. The actors then break from their group into a light-hearted happy dance and swing through the crowd, picking out people to sing to as they make their way back to the stage.
The nuns ponder a cookbook titled Baking with the BVM (Blessed Virgin Mary), and discover it contains a recipe for the same vichyssoise that killed 52 of the order's sisters.
"We're here to prove nuns can be fun," says Sister Mary Regina, the Mother Superior. She is played by Lynne Cousineau, who has acted in live theatre productions across Alberta, in commercials, and she is a featured extra in the soon to be released Hollywood film "Brokeback Mountain."
"We're on the way to heaven, we're here to raise some hell," the nuns sing. After a high-speed recitation of the facts behind the formation of their order, and explaining their purpose, the nuns give the audience a quick quiz, complete with little prizes.
"What if we have some plain-clothed nuns in the audience?" Sister Mary Amnesia, played by Ellen Chroley asks, eyes wide. This hilarious character unfolds as we learn she was given her name after losing her memory when a crucifix fell on her head.
The convent's history is presented by the nuns: The Little Sisters of Hoboken operate Mount Saint Helen's School in Hoboken, New Jersey. Originally founded as a missionary order, they started out running a leper colony on an island south of France. They were forced to leave the island when a group of Protestants took over, so they returned to New Jersey.
One day their cook, Sister Julia - Child of God, who wasn't a very good cook, served some bad vichyssoise soup to 52 of her fellow nuns. They all died of botulism.
The five sisters who survived were away playing bingo and survived the accidental poisoning.
"I feel like I'm back at the leper colony," the Mother Superior says, "Things are falling to pieces."
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Sister Mary Amnesia, played by Ellen Chroley, sings along with her nun-puppet friend during one of many hilarious songs featured in Nunsense.
The nuns go about trying to raise funds for the burial of their sisters and manage to take care of 48 burials by starting a greeting card company.
The play is about the talent show they put on to pay for the burial of the last nuns, who are kept in the convent freezer. They title their show "Free the Frozen Four".
Guests can opt to start their evening with dinner at 6 p.m. and stay for the show, which starts at 8 p.m., or take in the show only.
Dinner for the show is created by local chef Mathew DeLisle, who also works at Chez Francois in Canmore.
"A lot of recipes are our very own," said John Plaquin, operations administrator for Oh Canada, Eh? Productions. "Like the butternut squash soup and maple walnut salad."
The scrumptious meal also features spiral cut ham, roasted chicken, fresh Atlantic haddock, rice pilaf, green beans with roasted almonds and cranberries and chocolate cake for dessert.
"We have already sold out our Saturday, Dec. 10 show," Plaquin said. "Saturdays are our Christmas party show nights."
Immediately following the Saturday night shows, theatre staff will clear the tables and open up a dance floor. Local DJ Ward Price of Buzz Productions will play for those who want to tear it up on the dance floor until 1 a.m.
If You Go:
The venue for Nunsense is the Oh Canada Eh? Dinner Show, at 125 Kananaskis Way.
Tickets for the show with dinner are $61, or $27.50 for show alone. Group rates are available.
For tickets for Nunsense, or the upcoming musical comedy production of You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, call 1-800-467-2071. The latter show runs Feb. 24 through April 1.
For a New Year's Eve treat, take in the Oh Canada Eh? Dinner Show complete with dinner and dancing to follow.
Pam Doyle lives and works as a photojournalist in Canmore. She is looking forward to the next musical at Oh Canada Eh? Dinner Theatre.
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