Plenty of music, dancing and comedy will be featured as the Twin Valley High School (TVHS) Theater Arts Club presents "Sister Act: The Musical," based on the 1992 film starring Whoopi Goldberg. Performances will take place at 7 p.m. on Thursday through Saturday, April 3 to 5. There will also be a Sunday matinee on April 6 at 2 p.m.

"Sister Act" tells the story of Deloris Van Cartier, a disco singer who witnesses a crime. She is placed to hide out in a convent by Eddie, a police officer, who is assigned to ensure Deloris' safety while she is in witness protection.

Disguised as a nun, Deloris uses her musical talent to transform the choir and help the sisters rediscover their faith and purpose. Deloris also finds her own voice as well as she meets a new set of friends.

In the movie version, Deloris turns familiar pop songs like "My Guy" and "I Will Follow Him" into religious hymns. However, because the show's original producers were unable to get the rights to these songs, the musical features all original tunes, including "Take Me to Heaven," "Raise Your Voice" and "Sunday Morning Fever."

"Everything about the story is the same," said show producer Jessie Sanders. "It's funny, and (the students actors) are doing very well." She added that the movie is set in the 1990s in Reno; the musical is set in the 1970s in Philadelphia.

She added that audiences will appreciate all the show's sets, noting that actual pews are being used in the church scenes.

Deloris is played by senior Macayla Symonds, who said that like other people, she was unaware that the popular movie had been made into a musical. "I had not heard of the show until they announced that we were doing it. It's been a lot of fun," she said.

To prepare for the performances, Macayla familiarized herself with the plot and the songs. "I watched the movie over and over and listened to the soundtrack of the musical a lot on different streaming platforms," she noted.

Other cast members playing nuns include Nora Tennant, Sister Mary Lazarus; Dakota Paton, Sister Mary Martin-of-Tours; Grace Kelly, Sister Mary Theresa; Madalynn Gerhart, Mother Superior; Sienna Brown, Sister Mary Robert; and Lorelei Koller, Sister Mary Patrick. Jacob Ignacio plays Monsignor O'Hara.

Playing Eddie is senior Evan Johnson, who said that singing while dancing on stage requires a lot of special breathing techniques. "Most of the pieces require so much movement. There is so much choreography," he said. "It is secretly hard."

Nicole Weaver, director, noted that the TVHS production team selects the spring musical each year. "We look at a lot of factors," she said. "We look at the capabilities that we will have cast wise. We look at orchestration."

She said that an effort is made each year to choose musicals that will challenge the students. "We try to give students over their four years in the program an arc of shows - different styles and different time periods," said Weaver. "We try to give them a well-rounded experience, since (theater arts) is an educational experience. Last year, we went with a classic musical ( 'Pajama Game') and now a more modern musical."

TVHS is located at 4897 N. Twin Valley Road, Elverson. Tickets to the show can be purchased in advance at https://tvhsmusical.ludus.com. Tickets will also be sold at the door. Students tickets will be discounted. Those with questions may contact Sanders at jsanders@tvsd.org.