Our prayers have been answered! Sister Act, the smash-hit musical, arrives at the Festival Theatre on March 22. Grab your rosary beads, say your Hail Marys and grab the holiest tickets in town.
Sister Act is based on the iconic film starring Whoopi Goldberg and features original music by Tony award and 8-time Oscar award-winner Alan Menken (Disney’s Aladdin, Enchanted, The Little Mermaid). With songs inspired by Motown, soul and disco, this heavenly musical is joyous and uplifting in equal measures.
Sister Act features a star-studded cast, including Rhonda Burchmore, Sally Bourne, Emma Powell and with Casey Donovan in the role of Deloris Van Cartier. The heavenly Genevieve Lemon is Mother Superior, a role made famous by the late Maggie Smith in the original film.
Genevieve has appeared in many Australian productions in a 40-plus year career including: Steaming, Steel Magnolias, Seventeen, Miracle City, Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Billy Elliot, which she also played on the West End. Genevieve has also appeared in numerous TV shows and movies, including Sweetie, The Piano, Prisoner, The Tourist and Population 11 to name a few.
Genevieve spoke to Glam Adelaide about Sister Act and what it is about the performing arts industry that led her to forge such a successful career.
“I absolutely believe that luck is what keeps me going. You’ve got to be available when they want you, you’ve got to know everything’s got to suit you timing wise. Many times, particularly earlier in my career, I’d miss out on big occasions like you know even weddings and births and things like that because once you say yes to a show you’re committed to it. Back when I was first starting out we never had understudies or anything like that, so you really had to be available for the whole season. My early career happened to coincide with filmmaker Jane Campion’s and once I got cast in her first feature film, she seemed to manage to pop me into most of the things she’s done since. I just love moving from project to project and getting to work with so many wonderful and different people.”
Having worked across stage and screen, we asked Genevieve if there is a medium she prefers, or if she sees the benefit of working across multiple mediums.
“It’s not so much a benefit but like my career, it’s just luck. I remember saying to my very first agent when I was looking at my CV, as I had really only done the play Steaming and the TV show Prisoner. Early on, I really wanted one of those CVs that went for pages. So I kept working on as many projects as I could, both stage and screen, and have loved doing both for as long as I can remember. I’ve had such an amazing career so far: music, stage, screen – all different types of media. It’s also allowed me to meet some of the most incredible people who are now all very good friends. I feel so lucky.”
Genevieve shared what it is about Sister Act that she loves.
“Interestingly, I bet most people have the same instinct about the film, which is It’s so hilarious and the music’s fantastic. I showed it to one of my grandkids who was coming to see the show and it’s kind of dark. There’s plenty of laughs, and of course the nuns when they sing it’s magnificent, but at times it’s a rather dark film. Sister Act the musical still follows the same story line, but the composer Alan Menkin has written this most incredible, new score. You only have to look at his other works, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Little Shop of Horrors, to know how extraordinary he is. When they were writing Sister Act, Menkin actually asked if the story could be set in the 1970s because then he was able to draw on real disco, soul and 70s pop musical influences. So it’s this incredible, uplifting show that really made me want to be involved with it.”
Sister Act arrives at the Adelaide Festival Theatre from March 22, 2025.
“I’m looking forward to Adelaide audiences to experience the complete joy of the show. Casey Donovan is bloody hilarious on stage. She’s just brilliant. She makes me laugh on stage, which I can’t do as Mother Superior! My character is very strict and solemn, as Maggie Smith was in the film. The whole cast is just a lot of fun to work with and audiences have been loving the show.”
Tickets on sale now!
For further information and tickets, visit www.sisteractthemusical.com.au .
Photo credit: Daniel Boud
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