Nunsense II (Large Cast Edition)

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Nunsense II (Large Cast Edition)

Full-Length Musical, Comedy  /  9w, 2m

Book, Music and Lyrics by Dan Goggin

The Little Sisters of Hoboken return – and they're funnier, zanier, and more lovable than ever! A bit slicker after having been “bitten by the theater bug,” the singing nuns dance and croon their way into your hearts.

Nunsense II (Large Cast Edition)

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    9w, 2m
  • Duration
    Duration
    120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Appropriate for all audiences
Nunsense II (Large Cast Edition)
Also Available

Details

Summary

The Little Sisters of Hoboken, those humble nuns with a touch of show biz flair, return in style with Nunsense II: The Secomd Coming. Presenting a high-spirited and zany “Thank You Program” for their many supporters, the sisters sing and dance their way across the Mount St. Helen's stage, which is already dressed for the Hoboken Music Society's upcoming production of The Mikado. Musical numbers include “Winning Is Just the Beginning,” “There's Only One Way To End Your Prayers,” “What Would Elvis Do?,” “The Padre Polka” and “A Hat and Cane Song.”

In this Large Cast Edition, there are five major roles and six featured roles, plus a chorus, which can be as large or small as desired. The chorus can be made up of adults and/or children, with children playing Mount Saint Helen’s students and adults playing priests, brothers and nuns.

History
Nunsense II: The Second Coming premiered at Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury, CT on 20 November 1992.

Nunsense II: The Second Coming could easily be subtitled “the rest of the story.” The sequel to the international hit musical Nunsense takes place approximately six weeks after the first “benefit performance.”

Act I

The same five nuns are back on stage at Mt. Saint Helen’s School for what is billed as a “Thank You Program” for their supporters. Since their first time out was such a success, they have decided that they should stick to their successful variety show formula. This time they are forced to work around the set dressing of The Mikado, which is being presented the following week by the Hoboken Music Society on the Mt. Saint Helen’s stage.

The show opens with the musical production number “Nunsense: The Magic Word.” The song is followed by a high-speed recapitulation of what happened at the first show, narrated by Sister Mary Hubert and acted out silent-film-style by Sisters Robert Anne, Mary Paul (Amnesia) and Leo. This is capped off by the upbeat “Winning is Just the Beginning.”

The program proceeds with Sister Mary Paul (she is the nun who had been hit on the head with a crucifix and was known as Sister Amnesia. She had remembered that she was a former country singer who had won the publishers’ Clearing House Sweepstakes and made the nuns instantly rich at the end of Nunsense I) running a bingo game in which something goes wrong and the entire audience wins at once.

The variety show continues with Sister Leo; now on roller skates, with Sister Hubert once again warning Sister Leo of the pitfalls ahead in “The Biggest Still Ain’t Best,” and with Sister Robert Anne grabbing a couple of props from the Mikado production and appearing as Madame Butterfly. These irritations aside, Reverend Mother feels confident that everything is going well as she presents Sister Mary Paul, the newest country-singing sensation. Sister Mary Paul comes complete with sequined scapular, cowboy boots and Sister Mary Annette (her puppet).

Then the telephone rings. Sister Leo answers to discover that the Franciscans are on their way to the convent to claim Sister Mary Paul as one of their own! Reverend Mother dispatches Sister Robert Anne to the convent to try to reason with the Franciscans while the other Sisters try to calm Sister Mary Paul. Reverend Mother continues center stage with stories from her days in the circus. The others follow Reverend Mother with “The Padre Polka” calling for women priests.

Sister Robert Anne returns, telling the sisters that she has convinced the Franciscans to take only the prize money and leave Sister Mary Paul. Hearing this news, Reverend Mother faints. “A Hat and Cane Song” rounds out the action in Act I.

Act II

The second half of the program begins with Sister Robert Anne (by popular demand) performing some new impressions with her veil. Meanwhile, the Franciscans have arrived backstage to retrieve Sister Mary Paul. The sisters present a plan to make back the soon-to-be-lost money in “We’re the Nuns to Come to When You Go.” But trouble mounts as word comes that Sister Julia, Child of God (the convent cook) is in jail! Srs. Robert Anne, Leo and Mary Paul head off to bail her out, while Sister Hubert says “If only it were 1962, I’d know exactly what to do.” Impersonating a rock’n’roll star, she sings “What Would Elvis Do?”

Reverend Mother decides to try to hawk the convent’s latest book, The Catholic Guide to Gift Giving. She is interrupted by news of the Franciscans’ return. As Reverend Mother leaves the stage, Sister Robert Anne remains, stealing the spotlight with “I Am Here to Stay.” With Reverend Mother off dealing with the Franciscans, the other sisters come back on stage to lead the audience in a sing-along aptly titled “What a Catastrophe.” A defeated Mother Superior returns. The Franciscans want everything, including Sister Mary Paul. Sister Mary Paul accepts her fate, singing a beautiful ballad, “No One Cared Like You.”

Then without warning, a birdhouse, which is part of the Mikado set, falls on Sister Mary Paul’s head and jogs her memory. The “Franciscans” are none other than the Health Inspector and his assistant (the sisters’ nemesis in the first show) trying to steal the prize money by masquerading as monks. Realizing that Sister Mary Paul and the money are safe, the sisters give thanks with the rousing gospel finale “There’s Only One Way to End Your Prayers,” and that’s to say, “Amen!”

REVEREND MOTHER MARY REGINA – Mother Superior
SISTER MARY HUBERT – Mistress of Novices
SISTER ROBERT ANNE – Streetwise nun from Brooklyn
SISTER MARY PAUL – aka AMNESIA. Nun who lost her memory
SISTER MARY LEO – Novice who wants to be a ballerina
FATHER VIRGIL – Convent Chaplain
SISTER MARY WILHELM – Convent Nurse
SISTER JULIA, CHILD OF GOD – Convent Cook
SISTER MARY BRENDAN – A teacher
SISTER MARY LUKE – A teacher
BROTHER TIMOTHY – Stagehand
CHORUS – Nuns, Brothers, Priests and Students

FATHER (or SISTER MARY) PATRICK – Musical Director/Conductor
SISTERS AND/OR PRIESTS AND BROTHERS – Musicians
SISTER MARY (or BROTHER) SEBASTIAN – Stage Manager
SISTER MARY (or BROTHER) MYOPIA – Spotlight Operator

Sister Julia, normally played by a woman, can be played by a man impersonating Julia Child. The chorus can be made up of Sisters, Brothers, Priests, and male and female students as desired.

  • Time Period Contemporary, Present Day
  • Setting The stage at Mt. Saint Helen's School in Hoboken, NJ. The present.
  • Features Contemporary Costumes / Street Clothes
  • Additional Features Audience Participation/Interactive, Puppetry
  • Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)

Media

“An excellent evening of theater... fine family entertainment with lots of laughs!” – The Oakland Press

“This could be the second coming we've all been waiting for... the sisters are back and armed with zany songs, stories and, of course, more habit humor.” – The Muskegon Chronicle

“Delicious humor... you can't keep a good nun, let alone an entire stagestruck convent, down!” – Chicago Reader

“A whole lot of lighthearted nonsense... boisterous and fun.” – The Sun Chronicle

“Snappy and silly... pacing is one of the things that makes Nunsense II the crowd-pleaser it is. If a particular joke or tune doesn't just grab you, hold on for a split second and the sisters will be off in another direction.” – The Seattle Times

“An evening of guffaws and irreverent but playful humor... a hoot and well worth seeing!” – The Tolucan Times

“This high-energy show, which is a sequel to Nunsense, will have you roaring with laughter... hilarious... you won't stop laughing all night long.” – The Theater Mirror

Videos

  • "Winning Is Just The Beginning" youtube thumbnail

    "Winning Is Just The Beginning"

  • Nunsense TV - Pilot youtube thumbnail

    Nunsense TV - Pilot

Music

Music Samples

Act I

Overture – Orchestra
1. “Jubilate Deo” – All Seven Sisters & Chorus
1a. “Nunsense, The Magic Word” – All Seven Sisters & Chorus
2. “Gloria” – All
3. “Winning Is Just The Beginning” – All
4. The Stoning of Mary Magdalene – Orchestra
5. “The Prima Ballerina” – Sr. Mary Leo
6. “The Biggest Still Ain’t The Best”—Srs. Hubert & Leo
7. “Un Bel Di” – Sr. Robert Anne
8. “I’ve Got Pizazz” – Sr. Robert Anne & Rev. Mother
8a. Reprise: “I’ve Got Pizazz” – Rev. Mother
9. “The Country Nun” – Sr. Amnesia & Sr. Annette
9a. Playoff: The Country Nun – Orchestra
10. “Look, Ma, I Made It” – Rev. Mother & Chorus
10a. Playoff: Look, Ma, I Made It – Orchestra
11. “The Padre Polka” – Srs. Amnesia, Leo, & Hubert
12. Tokyo Rose – Orchestra
13. “The Classic Queens” – Rev. Mother & Sr. Hubert
14. “The Hat And Cane Song ” – The Nuns

Act II

15. Habit Humor – Orchestra
15a. More Habit Humor – Orchestra
16. “Angeline” – Sr. Robert Anne & the other Nuns
17. Recollection – Orchestra
18. “We’re The Nuns To Come To When You Go” – Nuns & Fr. Virgil
19. “What Would Elvis Do?” – Fr. Virgil, Rev. Mother, Srs. Hubert & Wilhelm
20. “Yes We Can” – Nuns, Fr. Virgil, Rev. Mother & Chorus
20a. Playoff: Yes We Can – Orchestra
21. “I Am Here To Stay” – Sr. Robert Anne
22. “What A Catastrophe” – Srs. Robert Anne, Amnesia & Hubert, Chorus & Audience
23. “No One Cared Like You” – Sr. Amnesia
24. Reprise: Recollection – Orchestra
25. Reprise: “Gloria” – Company
26. “There’s Only One Way To End Your Prayers” – Company
27. Reprise: “Nunsense, The Magic Word” – Company
31. Bows and Exit Music – Orchestra

Full Orchestration

Piano (Piano/Conductor)

Synthesizer
One Player, Two Keyboards:
(Upper Keyboard) COLOR REGISTRATIONS
(Lower Keyboard) BASS

Percussion

One Player, Trap Drum Set & Mallet Instruments:
Drum Set:
Bass Drum
Snare Drum
Small Tom-Tom
Floor Tom-Tom
Hi-Hat Cymbals
Ride Cymbal
Crash Cymbal
Splash Cymbal

Mallet Instruments:
Timpani – 26? and 29?
Xylophone
Bells
Chimes – G, F sharp, E and D
Cow Bell
Wood Block
Sandpaper Blocks
Pop Gun
Siren Whistle
Crotale – E (or Bells)
Mark Tree
Peking Opera Gong (Small 10? gong that bends in pitch)
Alpine Cowbell (Or similar medium cowbell with clapper)
Triangle
Temple Blocks
Wind Chime
Police Whistle

  • Musical Style Classic Broadway
  • Dance Requirements Easy
  • Vocal DemandsModerate
  • Orchestra Size Small/Combo
  • Chorus Size No Chorus

Licensing & Materials

  • Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.

    PLEASE BE ADVISED: There are multiple versions of this title. Before you proceed, please double-check to ensure that you are applying for the version you want. We will not be able to refund rental or shipping fees if you pay for the wrong version. If you’re not sure which version best suits your needs, you may purchase a perusal for each available version.

Music Rentals

Concord offers a full suite of resources to help you put on the show of a lifetime!

1 Piano-Conductor
18 Libretto-Vocal
1 Synthesizer
1 Percussion
Bingo card PDF for audience available via link.

Optional Performance Tracks are available for an additional fee. Please reach out to your licensing representative for more information. 

1 Piano-Conductor
18 Libretto-Vocal
Bingo card PDF for audience available via link.

Add-Ons

Take a look below at how you can enhance your show!

Authors

Dan Goggin

Dan Goggin, a writer and director, came to New York from Alma, Michigan to study as a classical countertenor. He began his professional career singing in the Broadway production of Luther, starring Albert Finney. While appearing in a comic folk-duo called “The Saxons,” he beg ...

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