Sister Act

The Director welcomes the audience.

Deloris Van Cartier and her backup singers, Michelle and Tina, perform “Take Me to Heaven” for Curtis and his associates at Curtis’s nightclub.

When Curtis rejects Deloris’s act and gives her his wife’s old coat as a Christmas gift, Michelle and Tina cheer her up by assuring Deloris that she is “Fabulous, Baby!”

Deloris accidentally witnesses Curtis’s execution of Ernie for informing on him to the police, but pretends she thinks that he is asleep before fleeing the scene.

Deloris reports to the police that she has witnessed a murder and needs protection. The officer in charge, Eddie Souther, a former high school classmate, promises he knows the “perfect place” to hide her.

At Queen of Angels Convent, Deloris and the Mother Superior disagree on the terms of Deloris’s witness protection program: “But if I have to wear this dress, I will just drop dead.”

It’s Christmas Day, and the nuns welcome Deloris, now Sister Mary Clarence, by asking, “What’s your favorite part of being a nun?”

When the thugs and Curtis find out that Officer Eddie has a witness—Deloris—who will help him put them all in jail, the thugs panic. Curtis reassures them: he’ll be able to locate her, and “When I Find My Baby—I ain’t lettin’ her go!”

Deloris goes to shut down the bar across the street from the convent (where the thugs are dividing up the parts of Philadelphia where they will search for her).

Sisters Mary Patrick and Mary Robert follow her as “backup,” but are emotionally overwhelmed by the disco lights.

Officer Souther dreams of having Deloris see him as someone other than “Sweaty Eddie,” his high school nickname: "I Could Be That Guy."

Monsignor O’Hara informs Mother Superior that their church is to be sold and the convent closed.

But Mary Clarence, assigned to help the nuns’ choir, gives them some new moves and new music—”Take Me to Heaven,” the same song she used to audition for Curtis.

Mary Clarence hears Monsignor tell Mother Superior that the new style of music has saved the church—the prospective purchasers are donating the price to keep the music flowing. Mother Superior reluctantly agrees that Mary Clarence can continue leading one hymn per service. Mary Clarence retorts, ”But that doesn’t include encores!”

Sister Mary Robert tells Deloris that her friendship has changed her for the good.

Monsignor O’Hara announces that the “Sunday Morning Fever” of the nuns’ performances has resulted in a request that they perform for the Pope.

But the thugs see a TV news clip about the command performance, and realize where Deloris is. Under orders to get her out, TJ, Joey, and Pablo fantasize about the best way to seduce a nun: “Hey, Lady in the Long Black Dress—let’s give you something to confess!”

Mother Superior receives a phone call from Officer Souther—he is coming to collect Deloris, since her location is now known.

The nuns ask Mary Clarence to bless their show for the Pope, but Mother Superior interrupts to announce that Deloris must leave. Deloris confesses: “I’m not really a nun. I’m not really a Catholic.”

When Mary Robert tells Deloris that she wants to accompany her from the convent to explore “The Life I Never Led,” Deloris tells her she must find her own way—but gives her her F(ather) M(ulhaney) boots for “a little excitement.” Mary Robert gives Deloris her rosary.

Officer Souther takes Deloris to his own apartment for safe-keeping, and tells her she is “Fabulous, Baby.”

Deloris dreams about going on to stardom, but decides that she really is part of the “Sister Act” that unites her with the nuns.

After a mad chase in the convent when the nuns capture TJ, Joey, and Pablo, Curtis proves not to be so easily overcome.

But Officer Souther arrives in the nick of time.

It’s “Places for the Pope” . . .

. . . and time to “Spread the Love Around” . . .

. . . even to the Thugs.