UPTOWN — When "Sister Act" kicks off the subscription season at The Marriott Theater it will feature Uptown actress Molly Kral and actor/singer Mark Hood, who has starred in shows for the Black Ensemble Theater.
The musical at the theater at 10 Marriott Drive in Lincolnshire, is based off the 1992 movie starring Whoopi Goldberg. The production will run from Feb. 17-April 3.
"It's such a familiar story for everyone," Kral said. "The cool thing is you have enough knowledge about the story. Sometimes with shows you spend so much trying to figure out what's going on you don't get to experience it."
But the stories aren't completely the same: For instance, the musical takes place in Philadelphia in the '80s, rather than San Francisco.
"The music is solid, but it's not the music from the movies," she said.
Instead, the music was created by renowned composer Alan Menken, who worked on Disney movies such as "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast," "Aladdin," "Pocahontas," "Hercules," "Tangled" and the upcoming 2017 reboot of "Beauty and the Beast."
The story revolves around Deloris Van Cartier, "a disco diva whose life takes a surprising turn when she witnesses a crime and is taken to a convent for protective custody." As a nun, she finds herself butting heads with the religious lifestyle and Mother Superior, but uses her big personality and voice to "inspire the choir," according to a news release for the show.
It features Stephanie Umoh as Van Cartier, Hollis Resnik as Mother Superior and Hood as TJ. Kral, who previously served as an understudy at the theater, will play a prostitute and a nun. She's appeared in productions for the National Pastime Theater in Uptown and theaters around Rogers Park.
Hood was recently on NBC's "The Voice" and has performed in various shows at the Black Ensemble Theater in Uptown. He's also appeared in USA's "Sirens" and NBC's "Chicago Fire."
Tickets range from $50-$55.
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