Director Morgan Bartholick has an especial love for “Nunsense,” Olympic Theatre Arts Center’s upcoming musical comedy, with shows running Thursday, May 22 through Father’s Day, Sunday, June 15.
“I think it’s one of the best musical comedies ever written,” said Bartholick, who first saw it 15 years ago. “There’s a lot of heart in the show. There’s great, great music. It’s one of those classics that people come to see over and over again.”
“Nunsense” is Bartholick’s directorial debut. He is also the musical director, a role at which he’s very experienced.
The story of five nuns staging a variety show to pay for the burial of four of their order is performed with a set adapted from an earlier production of “Fools” at OTA.
Bartholick said it seemed fitting to adapt that set because in the musical the nuns borrow a middle school stage, set up for the musical “Grease.”
The order is down to 19 Little Sisters of Hoboken after 52 others were accidentally poisoned by their cook, Julia, child of God, but the cast is made up of only five roles: Joodie Klinke as Sister Mary Hubert, Natalie Wilson as Sister Robert Anne, Sunshine Peterson as Sister Mary Amnesia, Nicole Mischke as Sister Mary Lee and Cathy Dodd as Sister Mary Regina, the Mother Superior.
The second-longest-running off-Broadway Show in history, according to Wikipedia, “Nunsense” has become something of a multimedia phenomenon since its first production in 1985.
It began as a line of humorous greeting cards, and the quips and wordplay carry through in the lyrics and lines by writer Dan Goggin. Bartholick said the wordplay is a big part of the reason he loves the musical so much.
At Sequim’s Olympic Theatre Arts, performers rehearse their roles as nuns staging a variety show to raise funds to bury four of their sisters in “Nunsense,” a musical comedy directed by Morgan Bartholick and choreographed by Jennifer Saul that runs from May 22-June 15. From left, Cathy Dodd as Sister Mary Regina, Sunshine Peterson as Sister Mary Amnesia, Joodie Klinke as Sister Mary Hubert, Nicole Mischke as Sister Mary Lee and Natalie Wilson as Sister Robert Anne.
Audience participation is another reason why the family-friendly musical is a crowd favorite, said choreographer Jennifer Saul.
“The fourth wall is broken, with cast members directly interacting with audience members” she said.
“A wonderful thing about this production is that it references so many different things in culture and arts,” Saul continued. “There’s a conga line, the Sharks versus the Jets (from West Side Story), synchronized swimming… ballet, the Rockettes… just about all of it. I think that will be really fun for audiences, too.”
During a recent rehearsal the comedic timing of the performers was on full display, prompting loud laughter from those attending the practice.
“I’m really proud of the work these ladies have put in,” said Bartholick, adding that they have been rehearsing since the beginning of March. “Some of them haven’t done a musical in forever and some of them haven’t done a musical this small before.”
He said that a five-person cast in a musical puts a lot of responsibility on each performer.
“Growing up in acting classes we talk about how when there are more people on the stage you’re all keeping the ball in the air together and as the numbers get less and less, your share of that ball is increased. Being at five (performers) you’re holding up 20% of the show.”
He said that some of the performers have never sung on their own on stage before but “they’ve all come up to the challenge with aplomb.”
“We have a tap number where nobody has done tap before, and they’re all tapping,” Saul said. “It’s so great!” She said that the cast and crew have been up to every challenge.
Bartholick and Saul have worked together in productions since 2021. The first at OTA was“Bingo: The Winning Musical,” in 2022, which Bartholick musically directed and Saul choreographed as well as acted in.
Natalie Wilson as Sister Robert Anne takes center stage, singing in OTA’s upcoming production of “Nunsense” while, from left, Nicole Mischke as Sister Mary Lee, Joodie Klinke as Sister Mary Hubert, Cathy Dodd as Sister Mary Regina and Natalie Wilson as Sister Robert Anne back her up in this musical comedy directed and musically directed by Morgan Bartholick and choreographed by Jennifer Saul.
“I’ve always been impressed with the way Jen makes choreography that is visually appealing for the audience, is challenging for the performers, but is never anything they can’t accomplish,” said Bartholick. “And she’s really great at teaching choreography and skills.”
He added, “She has such patience and care for her performers.”
Saul holds two majors, her first being fine arts dance. “I’ve always preferred teaching (dance) or choreographing it to doing it myself,” she said. “I do love to perform, but there’s really something exciting about having a vision in your head or creating a vision with the director and then it’s now outside your head on the stage and you’ve seen it come to fruition – it’s just so exciting.”
Saul said, “Morgan is able to give really clear feedback on little tiny things that make big differences in how the cast are able to use their voices.”
She added, “One of the best things Morgan did was putting together this cast. He was able to chose five cast members and crew support where the energy is so positive and the dynamics are so wonderful. Everyone works really hard — you can tell everyone shows up having gone through all their stuff and just is ready.”
Steve Rodeman is the stage manager.
“I make sure the show runs on production night, with everything in place and set up to succeed,” he said. “It’s a really funny, high-energy show. The improv the cast does with the audience makes each rehearsal different. They are all good at thinking on their feet.”
Nicole Mischke’s character in “Nunsense,” Sister Mary Lee, dreams of becoming the first nun ballerina. The strict, often disapproving and compassionate Sister Mary Hubert, played by Joodie Klinke, looks on from behind, during a recent rehearsal at Olympic Theatre Arts Center.
Fundraiser within a fundraiser
“Nunsense” is supported by the technical talent of Rebecca Orozco — who also did the lighting and sound for the recently ended “Lungfish” — using state-of-the-art lights replaced over the years through funds raised at OTA.
On the last Thursday of the run, June 12, the show will be incorporated into a fundraiser for the theater’s roof, which needs replacement.
David Herbelin, OTA’s executive director, detailed some of the plans for the get-together which includes champagne, two drink tickets, coffee and tea and a charcuterie table with the $100 ticket.
Herbelin said the pre-show party begins outside at check-in. People can socialize on the newly-built deck outside, with six tables seating 24 people and in the Gathering Hall with live music, probably by Linda Dowdell on piano and Rachael Contorer on the bass. A table will be spread with silent auction items and cast members will be available for photos.
“We’re going to be playing a couple of fun games that result in prizes,” Herbelin said. “One is a 100-person heads or tails guessing game.”
Around 7:10 p.m. everyone goes to the main theater to play bingo, called by Saul and Mario Arruda, the original callers from “Bingo: A Winning Musical,” with a prize for each game.
Silent auction items and bingo items are still being received.
“If anyone wants to contribute, by all means,” Herbelin said. “We’d love to have it before the beginning of June but we aren’t going to turn down anything that comes later.”
Some of the local and regional items OTA already has include a fishing trip, hotel stays, artwork, and symphony, car museum and Sequim Game Farm tickets.
Capacity for the cocktail party fundraiser is about 100, Herbelin said.
Before 2024’s “Spamalot,” “Nunsense” (last run in 2011) was the theatre’s top attended show, according to OTA. Therefore, the show will run for four weeks and include Thursday performances.
“Anytime you watch it you’re bound to have a good time,” Bartholick said.
Photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Musical director and director Morgan Bartholick, left, and stage director Steve Rodeman observe as Cathy Dodd rehearses a solo number in “Nunsense,” OTA’s upcoming musical comedy.
Nunsense
Olympic Theatre Arts, 414 N. Sequim Ave.
May 22-June 15
Tickets: $25, $18 for students; available online or by calling the box office at 360-683-7326, Tuesday-Friday, 1-4 p.m.
Show times: Thursday-Saturday, 7 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m.
The approximately two-hour show is in two acts in the Main Theater. Intermission is in the Gathering Hall with refreshments for sale.
The May 23 performance includes a free glass of champagne for toasting the cast.
Special performances
“Nunsense” performances include two special Thursday night performances.
May 22 is a pay-what-you-will/free preview, first-come, first-served.
The June 12 show is part of a fundraiser contributing to the replacement of the theater’s roof. Tickets are $100 and include champagne, two drink tickets, charcuterie, games, prizes and photo ops, starting at 6 p.m. with the show at 7:30 p.m.
Auction items can be donated by contacting the theatre at (360) 683-7326 or email office@olympictheatrearts.org.
Played by Cathy Dodd, Sister Mary Regina, the Mother Superior of the Little Sisters of Hoboken, grumps to laughter in the theater, while behind her, Sunshine Peterson as Sister Mary Amnesia attempts to keep up and from left, Natalie Wilson as Sister Robert Anne, Joodie Klinke as Sister Mary Hubert and Nicole Mischke as Sister Mary Lee wait from a soda fountain set during a recent rehearsal of “Nunsense,” OTA’s upcoming musical comedy directed by Morgan Bartholick and choreographed by Jennifer Saul.
Photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Sister Robert Anne, played by Natalie Wilson, attempts a wacky stage number under the disapproving eyes of her Mother Superior played by Cathy Dodd in OTA’s “Nunsense.”
Photo by Emily Matthiessen/ At a recent rehearsal, Sunshine Peterson as Sister Mary Amnesia approaches choreographer Jennifer Saul with a question during an audience participation segment of “Nunsense,” Olympic Theatre Art Center’s upcoming musical comedy directed by Morgan Bartholick.
Musical director and director Morgan Bartholick watches and listens closely as Cathy Dodd rehearses a solo number in her role as the Mother Superior in “Nunsense,” a musical comedy created by Dan Goggin that Bartholick considers one of the best of all time.
