Dan Goggin, who wrote the book, lyrics and composed the music to The Astoria Performing Arts Center’s upcoming production of “Nunsense” visited the cast during a rehearsal on Wednesday, March 11.
Goggin, a former seminarian, was brought up in Roman Catholic schools where he had a happy parochial experience. He has made an enterprise out of funny nuns having written five shows about the sisters. “Nunsense,” the first in the series, ran off-Broadway for a record eight years.
APAC is honoring the fact that March is women’s history month by producing this feisty musical about five nuns who must put on a talent show in order to raise money to bury three nuns who died from food poisoning during a dinner prepared at the convent. The health department is soon to arrive and the nuns must get the deceased sisters out of the freezer and buried before they do.
Executive Producer Susan Scannell, said “This is just a very, very fun show. Brian Swasey, APAC’s artistic director who is directing the show, wrote Mr. Goggin a letter and this famous and successful man accepted our invitation to come see the theater. He will be out of town for his newest version ‘Meshuggah-Nuns’ during the run of our show and he offered to come to a rehearsal. We were thrilled!”
Goggin was also happy when he entered the gymnasium of The Presbyterian Church of Astoria, which donates the space for APAC to perform. “This reminds me of the very first performance, it was the same set-up,” the playwright and composer said. “I know it will be a great show. The girls sound and look great. Productions like these are a pleasure for me to see.”
“Nunsense” will be performed March 21, 22, 28 & 29 at 8 p.m. and March 23 and 30 at 6 p.m. at APAC, 31-30 33rd St. (between 31st Avenue & Broadway) in Astoria. Call 718-278-5925 or send e-mail to sueapac@cs.com.
