Updated
12:07 pm CDT, Friday, October 4, 2019
Lonnie Tanner, left, Fred White, Jonathan Lammey, David Eck and JT Fischer hope to making laughing a habit for the audience at Art Park Players’ production of “Nunsense A-Men!”
Lonnie Tanner, left, Fred White, Jonathan Lammey, David Eck and JT Fischer hope to making laughing a habit for the audience at Art Park Players’ production of “Nunsense A-Men!”
Photo: Kirk Sides / Staff Photographer
Photo: Kirk Sides / Staff Photographer
Lonnie Tanner, left, Fred White, Jonathan Lammey, David Eck and JT Fischer hope to making laughing a habit for the audience at Art Park Players’ production of “Nunsense A-Men!”
Lonnie Tanner, left, Fred White, Jonathan Lammey, David Eck and JT Fischer hope to making laughing a habit for the audience at Art Park Players’ production of “Nunsense A-Men!”
Photo: Kirk Sides / Staff Photographer
The ‘sisters’ are all guys in Deer Park musical “Nunsense A-men!”
The names of the characters are the same, only the hems have been changed, in “Nunsense A-men!” the new all-male production of a hit musical about funny nuns at Art Park Players.
“Think of it as ‘Mrs. Doubtfire enters the convent,’” said director Susan Mele.
“We first produced the ladies’ version of ‘Nunsense’ in 1994, and it was a pure joy,” she added. “Now, directing the show with these talented men is a sheer blast.”
Heading the cast as mother superior is Lonnie Tanner, who is widely known throughout the Bay Area as a quadruple threat. He acts! He sings! He dances! Mostly, he’s a musician, employed by Friendswood Methodist Church as an organist, music director and conductor.
“I am all over the place,” he said. “I was raised a Baptist, I have played for Episcopal churches — I’m just a Christian.”
Tanner, who lives near Memorial Park in Houston, recently retired from teaching music in Pasadena ISD. Most recently, he was the piano accompanist for a choir concert at Dawson High School in Pearland.
“I am glad to have a few more minutes of free time every day,” said Tanner, “but my schedule is still pretty full.”
Others in the cast include Fred White of Deer Park, Jonathan Lammey of Tomball, David Eck of Bellaire and J.T. Fisher of Cypress.
The original “Nunsense” was written by Dan Goggins and inspired by a line of greeting cards that spotlighted a nun with such lines as, “Holy Rollers! I forgot your birthday.”
The show became “habit-forming” for comediennes who include Edie Adams, Kaye Ballard, Pat Carroll, Peggy Cass, Phyllis Diller, Sally Struthers and JoAnne Worley.
Tanner said that barely a word was changed to convert the show to “Nunsense A-men!”
In Act I, the nuns face a financial crisis and decide to stage a benefit show to raise money.
Act II is the benefit show, including Tanner’s favorite number, “A Difficult Transition,” in which the sisters recount how their group began as missionaries to a leper colony on an island south of France.
“It’s a tough song,” said Tanner. “There are a lot of words and a lot of movement.”
“Nunsense” kicks off the 40th year for Art Park Players, said Mele.
The stage manager and assistant director of the show is Kiara Fischer of Cypress.
Elsa Moen, who lives in the Memorial area, is the choreographer.
The vocal director is Alex Musgrove of Deer Park.
The technical director is Joe Piper of Deer Park, with set construction by Piper, Fred White and Tyler Sanders.
Other crew members include Matt Walker and Sarah Walker (sound), Debra Culp (lights), Sawyer Caso and Cheyene Dalton (spotlights) and Rose Nichol (props).
“Nunsense” will be performed at the Municipal Court and Theater Building, 1302 Center St., with dinner at 7 p.m. and shows at 8 p.m. Oct. 11-12, 18-19 and 25-26 and lunch at 1 p.m. and matinees at 2 p.m. Oct. 14 and 20.
Dinner with show tickets are $30. Reservations are required.
Show-only tickets are available for $15. Reservations are recommended.
Call the box office for tickets at (281) 794-2448.
For further information, visit www.deerparktx.gov.
Don Maines is a freelance writer who can be reached at [email protected]
