GREENVILLE — Hallelujah! Greenville will be blessed by students from Greenville Middle School Theater Workshop presenting their “divine” production of Sister Act JR., it was announced recently by Drew Cohen, president and chief executive officer of Music Theatre International. The musical tells the story of Deloris Van Cartier, a high-spirited aspiring singer, who witnesses a murder and is forced to enter the Queen of Angels convent under witness protection.
“‘Raise your voice’ is the beautiful, central message of this musical about a willful songstress who finds grace and fulfillment in the place she least expects it,” says Cohen. “It is only when Deloris takes sanctuary that she finds her place in the world; through the framework of this musical these students show how each of us can find our own unique way to express ourselves,” he adds.
GMS Theater Workshop presents Sister Act JR. on Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. and Feb. 10 at 2 and 7 p.m. at Memorial Hall in Greenville. Presale tickets are available online . For more information: https://our.show/gmstheatersisteractjr.
Greenville Middle School Theater Workshop was founded by Grace Kensinger and Marty Davis in 1985. This will be the 39th production by the group. The workshop organization is made up of students in grades 5-8 attending the middle School, St. Mary’s and Montessori Schools in Greenville.
Kari Thompson, who is in her ninth year directing the theater workshop group, is thrilled to be bringing Sister Act Jr. to the Memorial Hall stage. “These students have been working hard since November to prepare this production. We have approximately 40 cast and chorus members and 10 student crew members that will help bring this story to life.” She continues, “The students have put in a lot of time to bring this musical off the script and it is very clear the amount of dedication and talent these students have.”
This year, the group wishes to dedicate the production to both Richard Kensinger and Tina Colby. Richard was very important in the set and lighting design of each production under Grace and Marty. Some of the set pieces used in this production were actually created by Richard in the early 2000’s. Tina was an avid supporter of the program when her children were involved and even came back in the last few years to lend a hand backstage in productions. Richard passed away in October of 2023 and Tina in January of 2024. We hope to keep their memories alive through this years production.
Based on the hit film of the same name, Sister Act JR. features a music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Glenn Slater, a book by Cheri and Bill Steinkellner, and additional book material by Douglas Carter Beane. The show opened on the West End in 2009, and a revised adaptation opened on Broadway in 2011 which received multiple Tony nominations, including “Best Musical.” Though Deloris Van Cartier is forced into the convent under witness protection, she quickly finds her place in the women’s choir. While Deloris does not share the faith and modesty of her fellow nuns, her newfound community of sisters offers her friendship and fellowship, and, in turn, Deloris teaches each woman how to raise her voice in beautiful praise. The choir’s new sound proves a big draw, attracting new worshippers at church services, sorely-needed donations, and community attention.
Sister Act JR. is presented through special arrangement with and all authorized materials are supplied by Music Theatre International 423 West 55th Street, New York, NY 10019, 212-541-4684, mtishows.com.
Music Theatre International (MTI) is one of the world’s leading theatrical licensing agencies, granting theatres from around the world the rights to perform the greatest selection of musicals from Broadway and beyond. Founded in 1952 by composer Frank Loesser, and orchestrator Don Walker, MTI is a driving force in advancing musical theatre as a vibrant and engaging art form.
MTI works directly with the composers, lyricists and book writers of these musicals to provide official scripts, musical materials and dynamic theatrical resources to over 70,000 professional, community and school theatres in the US and in over 60 countries worldwide.
MTI is particularly dedicated to educational theatre, and has created special collections to meet the needs of various types of performers and audiences. MTI’s Broadway Junior® shows are 30- and 60-minute musicals for performance by elementary and middle school-aged performers, while MTI’s School Editions are musicals annotated for performance by high school students.
MTI maintains its global headquarters in New York City (mtishows.com), with additional offices in London (MTI Europe: mtishows.co.uk, mtishows.eu), and Melbourne (MTI Australasia: mtishows.com.au).
