Fabulous, Baby! Nicole Vanessa Ortiz, Nancy Opel & More to Star in Sister Act at Paper Mill

Raise your voice! Paper Mill Playhouse has announced full casting for its upcoming staging of the 2011 Tony-nominated musical comedy Sister Act. The previously announced production will run from April 1-26 at the Millburn, NJ theater.

Heading the cast will be Nicole Vanessa Ortiz (Smokey Joe's Cafe) as Deloris Van Cartier, Tony nominee Nancy Opel (Wicked) as Mother Superior, Christian Dante White (My Fair Lady) as Eddie Souther and Blake Hammond (Something Rotten!) as Monsignor, with Jarran Muse as Curtis, Lael Van Keuren as Sister Mary Robert, Anthony Alfaro as Pablo, Diane J. Findlay as Sister Mary Lazarus, Kara Mikula as Sister Mary Patrick, Ryan Gregory Thurman as TJ and Jacob Keith Watson as Joey.

Rounding out the cast will be Michael Andreaus, Jared Bradshaw, Rachelle Rose Clark, Madeleine Doherty, Denzel Edmondson, Dion Simmons Grier, Ashley Masula, Stephanie Miller, Alaina Mills, Chandler Reeves, Michael Schimmele, Alyson Snyder, Anne Fraser Thomas, Ariana Valdes, Zuri Washington and Kristen Beth Williams.

Based on the 1992 Golden Globe-nominated film, Sister Act is set in motion when disco diva Deloris Van Cartier (Ortiz) witnesses a murder and must go into hiding in a convent—where she clashes, hilariously, with cloistered life. Deloris inspires the sisters with her soulful style, but the church choir's newfound fame attracts the attention of the bad guys.

Sister Act features a book by Cheri Steinkellner and Bill Steinkellner, additional material by Douglas Carter Beane and an original score by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater.

The Paper Mill production will feature the original direction of Jerry Zaks and choreography of Anthony Van Laast, re-created by Steven Beckler and Janet Rothermel. The design team will include scenic designer Klara Zieglerova, costume designer Lez Brotherston, lighting designer Charlie Morrison and sound designer Matt Kraus.