NEW BEDFORD — The nuns of the next New Bedford Festival Theatre’s production of “Nunsense” have been parading around the area at festivals and events leading up to the show’s opening on August 9.
“Being at these events with our nuns has been a lot of fun and we have received a lot of positive feedback from the community,” said Elizabeth Bettencourt, producing artistic director.
The performers who play these funny nuns
The nuns who take to the streets are played by Durfee High School music teacher Abigail Casey as the Reverend Mother. Joining her will be Mackenzie Richard as Sister Robert Anne, Sophia Bonasso as Sister Mary Hubert, Tyler Decouto as Sister Mary Amnesia and Sophia Ross Alvarez (from NBFT’s “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”) as Sister Mary Leo.
Sister Mary Leo and Sister Mary Amnesia will be replaced by Molly Dupre.
The New Bedford Festival Theatre’s production of “Nunsense” promises to be a fun and heartwarming experience for all who attend. The show runs Aug. 9-18 at the Steeple Playhouse at 159 William St., New Bedford.
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“Our loyal patrons have been with us for over 30 years and we are grateful for their support. But with our recent presence at community events, we have been able to introduce ourselves to a whole new group of people who may not have known about our theater company,” Bettencourt said, adding that they have been attending events at least once or twice a week since June.
“It’s been really exciting to see new additions to our audience.”
What is the musical comedy about?
The musical comedy tells the story of a group of nuns from the Little Sisters of Hoboken convent. After a culinary disaster results in the accidental poisoning of 52 of their fellow nuns, the surviving nuns must raise funds to bury the deceased sisters and pay for a new roof for the convent.
To do so, they present a variety show filled with song, dance and comedy. As the show progresses, the nuns reveal their unique and quirky personalities and share stories about their lives in the convent.
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“It teaches us to be able to laugh at ourselves and not take ourselves too seriously,” said Bettencourt, who will also direct the production.
She will be joined by choreographer Brooklyn Toli and musical director Jameson Ward.
“I think by taking on this very important role as producer and director of the show, the show reminds me that I can mess up a little bit and it will be okay, that I can laugh at myself and that I don’t have to take all of this too seriously because it’s fun.”
NBFT’s future plans amid Zeiterion renovations
With the Zeiterion temporarily closed for renovations, the primary location for New Bedford Festival Theatre shows, Bettencourt said that while their original plan was to wait and see how other off-site performances were received, they ultimately felt that not doing what they do best, which is producing musicals, was not indicative of their true mission.
“We felt like we were losing momentum and our identity, so I decided to give it a go and find a place to do what we do best,” he added.
As for future shows, Bettencourt is committed to continuing their mission of bringing the best of Broadway to the area at reasonable prices. They also plan to maintain their educational program, which is free, as well as keep the company afloat until the Zeiterion reopens.
As for next summer, although the Zeiterion is expected to remain closed for renovations, Bettencourt promises that they will produce a musical and hope to do something a little bigger.
“I can’t say what, but the musical I’m thinking of is something that would lend itself really well to the kind of marketing we’ve done with ‘Nunsense,’ something super fun and super engaging for the audience,” Bettencourt said.
The New Bedford Festival Theatre production runs August 9-18 at the Steeple Playhouse. Tickets are available for $45. Tickets can be purchased online at nbfestivaltheatre.com.
Standard-Times staff writer Seth Chitwood can be reached at [email protected]Follow him on twitter: @ChitwoodReports.Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.
‘This article may contain information published by third parties, some details of this article were extracted from the following source: www.southcoasttoday.com’
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