"Two decades after she made her Broadway debut at the age of 5, singing with the Boys Choir of Harlem, Raven-Symoné is back on stage as the star of a Broadway musical. The actress-singer is set to take over the lead role in the musical Sister Act based on the hit 1992 movie, replacing Patina Miller as Deloris Van Cartier. Whoopi Goldberg, who played Deloris in the film and its sequel, produces the Broadway adaptation featuring original music by Alan Menken, which opened in April 2011.
Raven-Symoné is slated to begin rehearsals at the end of February and hit the stage of the Broadway Theatre at the end of March for a minimum 6-month engagement..."
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
If this is indeed true, their intention is probably to keep it open.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
While no one can replicate the sincerity and ferocity of Patina's performance, I can definitely see Raven bringing the sass to the role. As for the dramatic moments and the singing? We'll just have to see.
It's the last nail in the coffin; although I'd be very surprised if the show stays open long enough for this to happen.
It's a fun little piece if fluff, I've seen much worse, but the show really has run as long as it deserves. They have nothing to be ashamed of (except losing so much of their investors' money, I suppose - but is anyone ever ashamed of that?).
I'm very glad that they have pursued "stunt casting" and/or "star casting" that is actually pretty appropriate for the role. Whether or not she can sing it with the intensity that Patina did is still to be seen, but, frankly, Patina isn't even singing it nearly as well as she did at the beginning of the run. It was high time for a new Deloris, and this seems like a good idea.
"Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos."-Stephen Sondheim
A thought, though. Is this maybe who they have in mind for the tour? Is it possible they want her to do the show on Broadway through the summer, before headlining the tour in the fall?
Updated On: 1/31/12 at 11:31 AM
Her voice is obviously the question mark, but, other than that, Raven is actually very well cast. Say what you will about her, but she's an incredibly funny physical comedienne, and this style of broad comedy is exactly what she does well. Will she sell tickets? I don't know. But there's nothing in her body of work to indicate she won't be great in this role. It's right up her alley.
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
I now have interest in this show. Raven is a force to be reckoned with. I will definitely buy a ticket.
Raven has tons of charisma and is a killer comedienne. Of course she can be sexy-the girl is gorgeous.
She can sing,as well as Patina-doubtful. But she will do well.
I'm very happy about this.
"The sexual energy between the mother and son really concerns me!"-random woman behind me at Next to Normal
"I want to meet him after and bang him!"-random woman who exposed her breasts at Rock of Ages, referring to James Carpinello