New and improved 'Sister Act' musical to begin shows in November

The upcoming international tour of the musical "Sister Act" is receiving a fresh makeover with a different tone and look. Korean company EMK Musical is producing the show, which will feature technical advancements in lighting and set design.

Scenes from the rehearsal of "Sister Act" at Dongseo University in Busan on Wednesday [EMK MUSICAL COMPANY]

The upcoming international tour production of "Sister Act" is getting a shiny makeover under a new producer and creatives.

"We've completely reconceived the physical production, which, for 15 years, has been staged as a replica, repeating the same Broadway musical version," director Robert Johanson said at the musical's press conference at Busan's Dongseo University on Wednesday. "We've essentially created a new version of 'Sister Act' with a different tone and look overall that I think will be immediately felt by the audience."

Korean musical production company EMK Musical Company has taken the helm of the international tour production of "Sister Act," set to be performed around Asia, in English.

Johanson and choreographer Jayme Mcdaniel are among those newly stepping into "Sister Act," while music director BA Huffman has worked on the musical since its initial Broadway production alongside composer Alan Menken. Actors like Nicole Vanessa Ortiz playing the lead Deloris and Kim So-hyang playing Mary Robert have been part of previous "Sister Act" productions, and others including Mary Gutzi playing Mother Superior and six other Korean actors who have been cast in the show's ensemble are joining the team for the first time.

Cast and crew speak about the upcoming international production of "Sister Act" at Busan's Dongseo University on Wednesday. From top left are EMK Vice President and Producer Sophy Jiwon Kim, director Robert Johanson, music director BA Huffman, choreographer Jayme Mcdaniel, actor Nicole Vanessa Ortiz, actor Mary Gutzi and actor Kim So-hyang. [EMK MUSICAL COMPANY]

The upcoming production has made technical advancements in the lighting and set design, which "adds warmth to the physical look of the musical," according to Johanson. "We were able to dig into the characters scene by scene with our fresh minds and make the story more meaningful."

The show has a whole new choreography as well, by Mcdaniel, who described the working process as "organic."

"If it was a replica, the moves would just be pasted onto the actors," Mcdaniel said, "but in this process, I was able to collaborate with the actors and create choreography for them. They inspired me to create."

Huffman described his job as one that "walks the lines of honoring the original while giving the show a fresh intention."

"While the musical score stays the same for the most part, what changes with my new colleagues are the intentions behind it," Huffman said. "Why they are singing what they are singing and the emotions are all different with a new choreographer and director. So my intention is to honor the original musical material while joining forces and breathing new life into the show."

EMK's Vice President and Producer Sophy Jiwon Kim said that her company sees this upcoming production as a "test" to see for themselves and also let others around the world know how well they can produce a show.

"I remember really enjoying the show when the tour production of 'Sister Act' was staged in Korea in 2017, but I also thought it was a bit of a shame because the physical parts of the show [like set design, costumes, lighting] were lacking," Kim said. "It was such a great show, and I thought that it could be even better if EMK produced it. I can't believe we are realizing this dream. This is certainly an adventure for us, but also a chance for EMK to take the stand and show the world what we can do."

"Sister Act" is set to open in Busan's Sohyang Theater on Nov. 4 and continue performances at D-cube Arts Center in Guro District, western Seoul, from Nov. 23. It plans to embark on a national tour afterward, hitting a total of 15 cities through May 2024. EMK expects the show to begin touring around six countries in Asia from late 2024 to 2026.

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]