NewsPHOTO EXCLUSIVE: "Raise Your Voice!" On the Road with Blair Goldberg and Sister ActThe Tony Award-nominated musical Sister Act is currently traveling the country in its first national tour. Blair Goldberg (Carrie) takes readers on the road as the troupe spread the joy in a few warmer climates before heading to the Northeast.
By
Matthew Blank
January 30, 2013
"Follow me on part of my journey, as we travel as a company from Naples, to Charlotte, to Greenville and finally to Boston!" says Goldberg. "It's been a great ride so far and I hope you come check out our show soon!"
PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: "Raise Your Voice!" On the Road with Blair Goldberg and Sister Act
PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: "Raise Your Voice!" On the Road with Blair Goldberg and Sister Act
The Tony Award-nominated musical Sister Act is currently traveling the country in its first national tour. Blair Goldberg (Carrie) takes readers on the road as the troupe spread the joy in a few warmer climates before heading to the Northeast. Read the Playbill.com story.
64 PHOTOS
Good morning, from Naples, Florida!! In December, this isn't the worst view to wake up to every morning! Check out the tiki bar! Life is good.
Blair Goldberg
Nuns gotta keep their chords healthy and moisturized! I travel a humidifier with me to each city and turn it on near my bed at night. It works great, plus when I wake up in the morning, I feel like I'm in the boat scene from Phantom.
Blair Goldberg
Some of my favorite nuns: Alysha Deslorieux, Trisha Jeffrey, and Kelly E. Waters backstage during a show.
Blair Goldberg
A sea of nun veils! One for every occasion! Each nun has a number, and we pick up and drop off all of our different veils from here.
Blair Goldberg
My heaviest, and sparkliest costume! I love seeing the audience reaction when we all enter onto the stage in our finale costumes. There is so much glitter that I almost always find it in my bed the next morning.
Some might call me weird, and they would definitely be right, but I'm obsessed with jigsaw puzzles. There's nothing like whipping out a nice 750 piece puzzle of New York City to remind me of home and challenge my brain when I have some downtime.
Blair Goldberg
In Naples, the fire alarm went off in our theater at "places," so the entire cast, crew, and audience needed to be evacuated, most of us in partial costume. Chaos ensued.
Blair Goldberg
Fire alarm photo op in the parking lot!
Blair Goldberg
Our stage managers keep a stash of M&M's for the cast and crew in their office. There are 8 flavors to choose from. I've been known to eat, on average, 82 peanut butter M&M's during each show.
Blair Goldberg
Mary Jo McConnell caught Kingsley Leggs eating an M&M in costume and reprimanded him.
Blair Goldberg
We went bowling one night in Naples after the show. It's Brian Cali's turn! Jason Simon and Kingsley Leggs cheer him on outwardly, but secretly hope he gets a gutter ball.
Blair Goldberg
I'm relatively bad at most sports, so it came as no surprise that I couldn't break 100. Brian came in first with a whopping 111, followed by Alysha with a mean 97, then me, and lastly, Dashaun Young with a cool 79 points. We are the champions.
Blair Goldberg
I'm in the process of planning a wedding while on the road (yay!), so during the day I always have lots of bridal magazines and books sprawled out around my hotel room. Right now, I'm gathering ideas for for bridesmaids gowns and cakes!
Blair Goldberg
In Naples, we celebrated our 100th show with delicious cupcakes!
Blair Goldberg
A little pre-show dance warm up with Wendy James and Tricia Tanguy. Today we chose Jazz 101. Check out that technique!
Blair Goldberg
During the show, I transition from a nun to various other characters, which means I spend a lot of time putting on and taking off makeup, since we can't wear any as a nun. Here I am, getting ready to be a bar patron.
Blair Goldberg
Before we left Naples, we found a Steak n Shake. I've never tried it, so Kelly E. Waters took me to one nearby. A delicious goodbye Naples meal! Nuns gotta eat, too.
Blair Goldberg
A rainy morning in Naples as we load up the bus with our luggage and drive to the airport for our flight to Charlotte, NC!
Blair Goldberg
The first thing we do when we get to a new city is drop off our bags and then go out to explore. In Charlotte, Lael Van Keuren, Erin Henry and I ended up at Morton's Steakhouse and enjoyed some wine and bar bites after a long travel day.
Blair Goldberg
After all the food & drink, it's time to force myself to work out. Knowing there's a TV makes me happy, because anyone who knows me knows I'm a TV junkie. I chose Maury for this workout, because I like to stay classy. Spoiler alert- Darcy WAS the father.
Blair Goldberg
Our gym in Charlotte is equipped with this silver ball. I guess I'll do some exercises.
Blair Goldberg
But I usually just end up taking a bunch of naps because I read somewhere that sleeping burns calories.
Blair Goldberg
The wig room in Charlotte!
Blair Goldberg
When we get to a new city, our local dressers go through our costumes to get familiar with the different elements so the show runs smoothly.
Blair Goldberg
At our new theater, Lael Van Keuren, Florrie Bagel, Kelly E. Waters and myself all settle in to our new dressing room. And by settle in, I mean we pose for a photo op.
Blair Goldberg
Erin Henry, studying her tracks on a really cool Ipad app called Stage Write.
Blair Goldberg
My Sister Mary Robert understudy boots! I love me some sparkle, and they are surprisingly comfortable to dance in!
Blair Goldberg
Our time away from being a nun is short and precious to us ladies. Kelly E Waters, myself, and Angie Marie Smith pose for a quick pic before the bar scene.
Blair Goldberg
One of the most rewarding parts of being on the road is meeting the fans in all different cities. In Charlotte, NC, we met Morgan Wakefield, who had a book with her with a page devoted to each show she's seen at the Ovens Auditorium in Charlotte.
Blair Goldberg
It's important to try and stay healthy on the road, so in Charlotte, I went and got a flu shot! It was a blast.
Blair Goldberg
For Danny George's birthday, a bunch of us went to the Nascar Speedpark in Charlotte, NC for some racing, laser tag, arcade games and rock climbing!
Blair Goldberg
Rock climbing for Danny's birthday with Ashley Moniz, Michelle Rombola, and Danny Taylor. I made it 1 or 2 steps up before I gave up and ate a hot dog instead.
Blair Goldberg
"Tell me again why I can't wear my heels with my nun costume?" -Ta'Rea Campbell, our amazing Deloris, to our dance captain, Erin Henry.
Blair Goldberg
I was so excited to get to perform one of my understudy tracks, Mary Theresa, in Charlotte. She's the oldest nun in the convent, which I am not, making for a pretty fun show for all.
Blair Goldberg
Our resident drag queen, Dashaun Young, getting into character!
Blair Goldberg
We celebrated another birthday on the day of our last show in Charlotte! Florrie Bagel was the birthday girl and we had a pre-show treat in her honor. Bye-bye Charlotte! On to Greenville!
Blair Goldberg
On the bus driving from Charlotte, NC to Greenville, SC, listening to the greatest cast album ever made, Carrie! I have such great memories from this production! Buy it! No seriously, it's awesome. Buy it. Now.
Blair Goldberg
We're in Greenville! At each new theater, we have a cast orientation with our management to get everyone on the same page and go over the weekly schedule. Here's the cast listening intently, while Ernie Pruneda photo bombs.
Blair Goldberg
Sound checking at our new theater.
Blair Goldberg
Raising Our Voices for sound check!
Blair Goldberg
Our lovely Mary Lazarus, Diane J. Findlay, has been out for the past week and tonight is her first night back. After we sound checked she teared up because she missed singing with us. She is the absolute sweetest, and we are so glad to have her back!
Blair Goldberg
In Greenville, we had the pleasure of welcoming a new cast member to our tour family! Jacqui Graziano, who was a swing on Broadway, came out to join us! We are thrilled to have a new, awesome, and very talented addition to the ladies dressing room.
Blair Goldberg
Glitter Mary in all her glory! And Ernie Pruneda. Photobombing again.
Blair Goldberg
A quick Target shopping trip during the day, where Alysha Deslorieux finds her newest ensemble for a night out on the town. Lookin' good, Lysh!
Blair Goldberg
Aaron Elgart, our Assistant Stage manager, and Ian Carr, our Assistant Audio Engineer, playing cornhole with the local crew before half hour.
Blair Goldberg
The call board in Greenville, SC! As you can see, there is lots of information being posted at all times, and plenty of posters to sign!
Blair Goldberg
Signing posters with the lovely Tricia Tanguy!
Blair Goldberg
Brian Cali, E. Clayton Cornelious, and Dashaun Young. Hard to say what they're doing.
Blair Goldberg
Tricia Tanguy and Angie Marie Smith just being bums.
Blair Goldberg
Life on the road means unpacking and packing each and every week! Angie Marie Smith packs her trunk up before we head off to Boston!
Blair Goldberg
Mary Jo McConnell and Tricia Tanguy enjoying a sweet treat at a cast favorite tour spot, Marble Slab.
Blair Goldberg
Or as we like to call it, "Slabbin' it!" Yum!!!! Now its off to bed to get some sleep for our travel day to Boston, tomorrow!
Blair Goldberg
But how will we get back to our hotel? Babies can't drive. Alysha Deslorieux and myself are not quite yet old enough to legally drive the company vehicles, so Alysha protests by sitting in the trunk.
Blair Goldberg
Up bright and early with Dashaun Young and Todd A. Horman at the airport, flying to Boston!
Blair Goldberg
As soon as we got to Boston, Danny George and I took a little walk in the snow to explore. It was crazy how many cabs we saw drive by with Sister Act advertisements on them! We even found this cute little town square with our poster.
Blair Goldberg
Trisha Jeffrey, Ta'Rea Campbell and Alysha Deslorieux sound-checking "Fabulous, Baby!"
Blair Goldberg
Our wonderful conductor and music director, Brent-Alan Huffman, leading our sound check in Boston.
Blair Goldberg
Here I am sound checking at the Boston Opera House! Simply gorgeous- it still gives me the chills to know that I get to live my dream every night and perform on stages in theaters like this.
Blair Goldberg
Happy opening in Boston!! It's "places!" Here we go!
Blair Goldberg
Ta'Rea Campbell and I always make time for a quick workout.
Blair Goldberg
Jason Simon being a stud.
Blair Goldberg
Our wonderfully talented Mother Superior, Hollis Resnik, being the OPPOSITE of her character, backstage.
Blair Goldberg
Thanks for joining me on my adventures! Come check us out in one of our next cities! Raise your voice and spread the love:)
Blair Goldberg
An adorable note left for the company from the locals in Greenville! Thanks, Jason Simon, for snapping this one!
Ta'Rea Campbell stars as nightclub singer-turned-nun Deloris Van Cartier in the national tour of the Tony Award-nominated musical Sister Act, which launched Oct. 2.
Campbell (The Book of Mormon, The Lion King) stars in the central role of an outrageous nightclub singer who goes into hiding at a convent after witnessing a crime. The musical is based on the popular 1992 film of the same title. Whoopi Goldberg, Stage Entertainment and Troika Entertainment produce the tour.
Campbell is joined by original Broadway cast member Kingsley Leggs (The Color Purple), who repeats his work as Curtis Jackson. The cast also features Hollis Resnik (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Les Miserables) as Mother Superior, Lael Van Keuren (Sister Act on Broadway) as Mary Robert and Richard Pruitt (42nd Street, White Christmas) as Monsignor O'Hara.
Principal casting also includes E. Clayton Cornelious (Wonderland, The Scottsboro Boys) as Eddie Souther, Florrie Bagel as Mary Patrick, Diane J. Findlay (42nd Street, Promises, Promises) as Mary Lazarus, Todd A. Horman (Priscilla Queen of the Desert) as Joey, Ernie Pruneda (Sister Act) as Pablo and Charles Barksdale (Fat Camp) as TJ.
The ensemble features Melvin Abston, Brian Calì, Alysha Deslorieux, Karen Elliott, Danny George, Blair Goldberg, Erin Henry, Wendy James, Trisha Jeffrey, Mary Jo McConnell, Ashley Moniz, Michelle Rombola, Jason Simon, Angie Marie Smith, Tricia Tanguy, Kelly E. Waters and Dashaun Young.
Sister Act has a score by Tony and Academy Award winner Alan Menken (Newsies, Leap of Faith, Beauty and the Beast) and Glenn Slater (Leap of Faith, Love Never Dies). The musical premiered on Broadway March 24, 2011, at the Broadway Theatre after a 2009 London debut. It ended its Broadway run Aug. 26 after 561 regular performances.
The musical has a book by Tony Award nominee Douglas Carter Beane (The Little Dog Laughed, Lysistrata Jones) and Emmy Award winners Cheri and Bill Steinkellner.
Tony Award-winning director Jerry Zaks (Guys and Dolls, The Addams Family) directs Sister Act, which features the work of choreographer Anthony Van Laast, scenic designer Klara Zieglerova, costume designer Lez Brotherston, lighting designer Natasha Katz and sound designer Ken Travis.
Michael Kosarin serves as musical supervisor, with dance music arrangements by Mark Hummel, orchestrations by Doug Besterman and electronic music by Andy Barrett. Music director is Brent-Alan Huffman.
Sister Act received five 2011 Tony Award nominations including Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Book of a Musical, Best Actress in a Musical (Patina Miller) and Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Victoria Clark).
