The Sound of Nunsense

Aufgrund der Covid-19-Pandemie und der damit einhergehenden vorübergehenden Schließung des Salzburger Landestheaters konnte die Produktion nicht stattfinden.

More than 30 years ago, long before “Sister Act”, Dan Goggin invented his very own musical company: Goggin drew on his intimate knowledge of Catholic affairs derived from his time as a convent school student and created an unlikely musical comedy that is still one of the most performed Off-Broadway shows today. The show tells the story of Mother Superior Mary Regina and her fellow sisters, who are shocked to find that in their absence Sister Julia, the cook, has killed most of the other nuns with her tainted vichyssoise. To raise money for the burials, they decide to stage a variety show…

After the overwhelming success of the original musical, Dan Goggin created seven sequels about the singing nuns, including “Nuncrackers” and “Nunset Boulevard”. A new original show called “The Sound of Nunsense” has now been created for the Salzburg State Theatre: Sister Mary Amnesia can’t remember her own name after she was hit on the head by a crucifix. One night she dreams that she was one of the “Trapp Family Singers” when she was younger. Mother Superior Mary Regina and her deputy Sister Mary Hubert, the mistress of novices with whom she works in amicable competition, decide to take the nuns to Salzburg to further investigate the matter. Resolute Sister Robert Anne takes on the role of tour guide and Sister Mary Leo, a wannabe ballerina, is looking forward to enjoying some culture in Salzburg. But the sisters have clearly underestimated the effects of mass tourism.

Author and composer Dan Goggin was born in Michigan in 1943. He wrote “Nunsense” in 1986, winning four Outer Critics Circle Awards. The show ran for more than nine years in a row. By now it has seen over 8000 productions in more than 20 languages.

“The nuns I knew in school were all very human and had a great sense of humour. I dedicate my show to their memory. Aside from all the fun, I also wanted to take them seriously.” Dan Goggin