Photo Courtesy of:  www.broadwayinchicago.com

First row: Hollis Resnik, Ta’Rea Campbell;
Second row: Florrie Bagel, Diane J. Findlay, Lael Van Keuren

In December, we went to Tampa to see Sister Act…

In this touring company, my dear friend’s daughter, Lael Van Keuren played the part of Sister Mary Robert…

She came directly from the original cast of Sister Act on Broadway!

In the Ensemble, Understudy for Sister Mary Robert, and Understudy for Tina/Michelle…

At the Broadway Theater…

Jerry Zaks, director…

Her favorite credits include:

Dirt Rotten Scoundrels (North Shore Music Theater);

Hello Dolly! and Cinderella (both at Paper Mill  Playhouse).

We thoroughly enjoyed Sister Act…

So did everyone around us!

We laughed sooo much!!  It was delightful!!

This show has such a positive, uplifting effect on audiences, and it was so much fun to be a part of it!

Especially since we knew Lael was in it!!

Lael was amazing!!  The lady next to me agreed!!

Her voice is so powerful!

The acting, dancing, and singing…

Everything my friend did for Lael, and with her, over all the years has definitely paid off!!

We’re so very proud of her!!

We’re so glad we got to see her after the show!!  We haven’t seen her since moving to FL

She’s grown up…but still with that same adorable face and smile we love!!

She’s so cute and sincere and lovable and bubbly!!

I know my friend (who I taught with in NJ) misses her dearly, now that she’s touring with the company.

We wanted to hang around a little longer and chat more with her, but our car broke down on the way to the show…

There’s always something!  Amen?

So we were at the mercy of our repair man…

Who was nice enough to drive us to the theater on time…

Hallelujah!!

And pick us up before he closed!!

God is good!!

And though our day in Tampa actually cost us $1200 in car repairs…

We want to give a shout out to Doug and John…

At Firestone Complete Auto Care…

900 E. Kennedy Blvd.

Tampa, FL

God love you guys!!

Thanks!

You helped us get our car back on the road…

And got us to the show on time, too!!

I did have one favorite song in the play…

The song, “Sister Act,”  in the Broadway Musical “Sister Act” was sung by the lead character,

Deloris Van Cartier, played at our show by Rashidra Scott

Here are the lyrics:

“I don’t need a spotlight,
I don’t need a crowd,
I don’t need the great wide world
to shout my name out loud.
Don’t need fame or fortune,
nice as those things are,
I’ve got all I need
to feel like I’m a star.

I’ve got my sisters by my side.
I’ve got my sisters’ love and pride.
And in my sisters’ eyes
I recognize the star I want to be.

And with my sisters standing strong,
I’m on the stage where I belong.
And nothing’s ever gonna change that fact.
I’m part of one terrific sister act.

And yes, I love that spotlight!
Yes I crave acclaim!
I’ll admit I love the sound
when strangers scream my name.
All that glitz and glamor,
they’re all right no doubt.
But what are you left with
when the lights go out?

I’ll have my sisters with me still,
I’ll have my sisters, always will.
And with my sisters’ love,
no star above will shine as
bright as me.

And as a sister and a friend,
I’ll be a sister ‘til the end,
and no one on this earth can
change that fact –
I’m part of one terrific sister act.”

Thank you to all my “sisters!”

I love you all!

We got a photo with Lael after the show!

Go see it…you’ll love it!!