Well, we're back over at The Learner with Premiere Arts, and I'm so excited because we're actually backstage right now.

It's a little sneak peek.

I know we're a week before the actual performances, but Sister Act is coming here.

I'm so excited.

I have my friends joining me here today and this beautiful screen behind us.

I mean, this is gorgeous.

This is actual stained glass.

I know it looks like it.

You do a great job with this stuff.

Thank you.

We've got some good love out of this.

You know, we try to make pieces and then we're like, how can we reuse this again?

So this is a reuse piece.

This is a reuse I think we made originally from beauty and the beast.

But well okay I can see that.

We're gonna we're going to recycle it.

Reuse.

You know it gets us in the mood I like it, I like it.

I know you guys have a lot of events going on, so we are doing a little bit backstage and the set is going to be going up this weekend.

Performances next weekend.

I love that, Sarah, you are playing a fantastic part.

Yes, ma'am.

Is this your first time playing that role of Dolores?

Yes it is.

Okay, my first time I was so excited.

I loved Sister Act the movies.

The musical is totally different.

Brand new music for everyone.

But so fun, a great show.

No, I haven't seen the musical, so I don't know how that's different from the movie.

I love the movie.

Grew up with the movie, right?

So in your opinion, like how has that shifted or what's the differences between those?

I think there's a lot of the same elements, like Dolores is still in trouble because she saw someone get killed by her boyfriend and she's still on the run.

And then you have these amazing different personalities and the nuns throughout the show.

So virtually same premise.

She's not starting in Vegas, but she just is trying to get discovered.

That's a big difference.

But also, I just think it's it's just a really cool show and everybody needs to come see it.

I love it all original music, all originals.

It is an menken.

Heard of him.

Disney yeah.

Composed the lyrics and the music for this show and I just love this music.

We did it a good number of years ago and we decided to bring it back.

And the songs I'm just obsessed with.

Well, I'm excited to hear those two.

Okay, so what's maybe one of your favorites?

Oh, I have a few.

I really like singing Fabulous Baby because it has a reprise too.

But it just it it just really explores like who Delores is and how we have fabulous she is and won't let anybody stand in her way, like how determined she is.

And it's like the world's going to see me for who I am.

Yeah, and I think that's a really important message to.

And I think that's kind of what Sister Act really is all about to.

I mean, that's what audience will hopefully walk away with too.

Right.

It's finding yourself and finding ways to help others and just pouring in and becoming a new version of yourself, someone you can be proud of as well, and knowing that you still have the opportunity at any point in your life to do so.

And speaking of that, what's really cool about this show, and it's something that we did eight, nine years ago when we did the first time is we have choir nuns, and so we're going to have an entire choir loft of nuns that come in to really bulk up some of those big chorus numbers.

And a lot of those women are women that would never have auditioned otherwise.

They think there's not a place for me, but here is an opportunity where a lot of people are like, I don't sing, I don't dance.

I'm like, okay, Lise, you do sing, but you just aren't confident.

But you put them in a group and they're banding together.

They're practicing outside.

Yeah, they're having a great time.

So it's I literally love this show specifically because it, it really gets to highlight a community that don't often get that same spotlight.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So how big is the cast then?

About 53 or so.

Yeah.

And I know there's also a little cast.

Right?

God.

Precious I love that.

And what you guys do here.

Premier Arts is just always wonderful.

And being able to showcase the same performances oftentimes for both the main stage then also for the youth to support us about that.

You performances coming up next weekend?

Oh my God, can you imagine about 50 or so little tiny nuns?

Yes, all in habits.

I cannot wait to see their first costumes.

But yeah, we're doing an all youth production.

Saturday, October 17th at 2 p.m.. And we love to be able to highlight not only the very talented adult cast members in this community, but create the path for the next generation.

And so they get a new for sister act, many of whom never heard of the movie.

Yes, because a lot of those probably have never heard of it.

I don't even know my kids have heard of it.

And so the parents were saying like that.

They watched a movie with some of them since they started drama, but made them understand it's it's different and they can see that, like, I love having a mini me.

Like it was like a little Dolores baby.

Dolores, come here.

Like we talk.

And I got to talk to her mom last night, so it's like, well, there's my miniature for the only roll up in theater, right?

I know, because we're theater babies.

Oh.

We are.

You grew up a theater, too?

Yes.

I mostly grew up in dance, but also doing theater within my school.

I grew up in South Bend Community School Corporation, but I hadn't done adult theater until I moved here to Elkhart to work for a while.

And Premier Arts is how I got my my feet wet and found my voice as an adult outside of singing a church choir, I love that.

I'm so glad you found out I am Sue.

You guys are awesome.

I always love being with Premier Arts.

You guys are always so much fun.

Now let's talk about what you guys have going on as far as coming up with the production itself, what can people expect when they are here, or are they going to be dressing a costume like, can the audience dress and cast into I mean, that you come straight in your Sunday best?

Yes.

You know, they like I love about this production that the audience is our congregation, like Dolores even gets to interact with them in that song.

Fabulous, baby.

Like she's saying.

Come on, let me feel the love.

Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

And they are our congregation for the church.

So I'm hoping that we get a lot of good interactions.

And they feel that energy and feel the love.

As our monster was saying, I always feel like we're going to be up.

Like saying, here is, can I do that?

Yes I can.

We'll tell you.

Sure.

It's to stand down.

Yes.

Stand out.

Normal behavior.

But what's really great about this show, in this slot in our season every year is we're going to announce our 2027 season.

Okay, okay.

That's important.

Yes.

And so a season tickets are going to kick off all those that have season tickets.

You better renew.

And then you're going to once you hear the season.

I I'm so excited.

I love.

I know you don't know it.

Yeah.

So I'm excited to hear the new season.

No.

Everybody stands backstage like listening to credits.

Curtain speech.

Like what's the season?

What's the season like?

That's what you got to come.

I mean.

A and then a season.

Exhibit B yeah.

Okay.

Now as far as rehearsals, what's been something maybe that you about the process.

Oh.

There's so much material and so much to the story that you really have to feel those emotions.

Something that keeps telling us is, think about your nun's story.

Like, where have you been?

Where are you trying to go?

What are you trying to pour in?

There's one who doesn't even know she should be a nun or not.

Like we have Sister Mary Robert.

So she's trying to figure it out.

But it's really about that storytelling.

Owning it and living in the scene.

And that's something that you always want to do in a production.

But in this one in particular, it really makes it stand out as each of them sprinkles into each dialog and each song and has their that character to carry through and really take the audience on a ride.

I love that.

I love it, and I know Brittney always has a fabulous job to do.

I can't wait to see my boots.

Y'all don't even know how many pieces there are.

Two a habit.

Okay, like how many are there?

There's a lot.

And I'm not even wearing all of them because I'm the one who just crashed the party, so I don't even have on the the headgear, the wimple, the guest, the wimple.

Did you know?

Yeah.

No, I didn't know that.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I mean, it's almost says table runner, and that's clearly not what it is.

But we've got this under gown.

We've got the rope that's tied underneath.

It's here.

And I bet you more pieces to put on the head guard to add some quick changes in there.

So it's pretty pretty about the set up.

It's going to be a massive church.

And what's really cool is we call it a unit set.

So there's a big giant piece sometimes with some of our premier shows there's lots of little moving pieces.

But this one, when you're at church, there's a big giant.

It's Gothic cathedral.

And so we've got a huge choir loft.

We've got a lot of that dark wood.

We've got huge stone pillars.

But then anytime we're not there, we we have to use a stage very creatively because the church takes up so much space.

And so we have little vignettes of different spots that we're at.

We go to a nightclub, we go to a park, we go in a back alley where some fantasy dancers break out of dumpsters and, you know, take us into dreamland.

Wow.

Philadelphia, baby.

We're going to be that do that giant love sign.

As part of the set up and of course, the stained glass window that likes to change colors behind us.

So the magical.

It's a very magical.

How can people get their tickets?

Well, of course, go to the theater box office, call or visit or premiere.

You can get them online.

All right.

Opening night next weekend.

All weekend long.

You guys got to come out and get your tickets for that.

And, we'll see you then.

Fantastic.

Better.

Hey, better.

See you there.