The latest edition of Dan Goggins' "Nunsense" saga takes the Little Sisters of Hoboken to Las Vegas to present a revue in return for a donation to their school, Mt. St. Helen. The plot possibilities are rife given the current popularity of Vegas as a TV location, but nothing is made of the location. They might as well have stayed in their home state and taken the bus to Atlantic City. In fact, though still a crowd-pleaser, the joke is wearing thin. "Nunsensations!" has little new to offer, musically or lyrically. Several of the songs are clearly out of the trunk and could be dropped into any previous version unnoticed. Goggin's has found a successful formula which perhaps makes the best use of his talents for harmless parody, which fortunately pleases his fans.
The cast of "Nunsensations" features Bonnie Lee as Rev. Mother Mary Regina, complete with Irish brogue joined by Bambi Jones as Sr. Mary Hubert, her second in command, more in charge than ever. Lee is one of several "Nunsense" veterans in the cast; Jones was seen recently Off-Broadway in "Menopause..." Carolyn Drocoski, who's been involved with the Nunsense for 18 years and who directed Lyric's production of "Meshaggah-Nuns!" two seasons ago, is Brooklyn-born Sr. Robert Anne, tough as ever. Boston theatre goers may have seen her playing the same role opposite Pat Carroll and Alice Ghostley during a long run several seasons ago. Emerson grad Jeanne Tinker plays Sr. Mary Paul aka Amnesia, ditsy as ever. The circumstances of her peculiar behavior are brushed over in this sequel. Her irrepressible sidekick Sr. Mary Annette has only one appearance, however. (The puppet's just tried out for "Ave. Q", of course.) Sr. Mary Leo, the dancer, is Carrie Keskinen, another veteran who completes what's billed as the world premiere cast of this show. All five display considerable comedic talent and are in fine voice, Keskinen's dance routine is a hit, but never developed. Set and lights are professional, and the four piece ensemble, playing on a bandstand center stage, has a contemporaryt ie. keyboard sound despite the best effort of the reed player.
This version is merely a pastiche of the past 20 years of Goggins' otherwise mundane career. Very little thought seems to have gone into the book, and the characters of the five sisters depend on past revelations, rather than new insights. Which is of course fine by Nunsense fans, who've become comfortable with these stereotypes. The "Nunsense" shows have established themselves firmly in a comfortable niche in popular entertainment, a notch above simulated weddings or long running farces like "Shear Madness." This level of live entertainment keeps quite a few performers employed across the country and provides a potential audience for more weighty shows. Stoneham will probably get satisfactory attendence for this touring show. Some may then return for the next Vegas entertainment later in May, a recreation of "The Rat Pack." And if the theatre's lucky, newcomers who've discovered this pleasant venue may find their way to Stoneham's season opener next September, Cole Porter's vintage romance, "You Never Know." After all, the parkings free and there are sufficient reasonably priced eateries nearby. That's show biz.