IF YOU GOWhat: “Nunsense A-Men.”When: 7 p.m. today, June 28-29; 8 p.m. Saturday and June 30; and 2 p.m. Sunday.Where: Dalton Little Theater, 210 N. Pentz St., Dalton, Ga.Admission: $15 adults, $10 students.Phone: 706-226-6618.
If “Nunsense” is habit-forming, imagine five men playing the roles of Mother Superior and the four Catholic sisters who have made the musical comedy about the Little Sisters of Hoboken such a hit since it began off-Broadway nearly 30 years ago.
That’s the premise of “Nunsense A-Men,” which will be staged this weekend and next at the Dalton Little Theatre.
“It adds a layer of comedy to it,” said director Jerry Draper. “We’re not doing drag. It’s strictly the original show with men in the roles.”
The story focuses on the variety show the order has decided to do at Mount St. Helen’s School auditorium to raise the money to bury the remaining 52 sisters — now in the deep freeze — who went to their reward because of the tainted vichyssoise made by Sister Julia, Child of God.
Got it?
Draper said the script, which has had slight updates through the years, and the songs are the same as in the original show, which is the second-longest-running off-Broadway show in history.
“It’s a basic slapstick-type comedy,” he said. “It has the type of jokes you would expect to hear … with a rim shot. It’s a funny script.”
In fact, Draper said, he told his cast member they needn’t be over the top in their portrayals.
“It stands on its own,” he said. “You don’t have to do anything extra to make it funny. If you play it straight, it makes it even funnier.”
Among the rollicking songs are “The Biggest Ain’t the Best,” “Tackle That Temptation With a Time Step,” “Baking With the BVM” and “Holier Than Thou.”
Draper said he’s partial to the upbeat “Just a Couple of Sisters” and the “really pretty, feel-good” “Growing up Catholic.”
The five actors, Jeff Adair, Will Park, Joey Parrott, Colby Stevens and Justin Young, will be backed by the director on piano and synthesizer and Tom Lifsey on percussion.