Luck o' the Irish

Sassy Sister is back onstage at Stages to bless Houston audiences

Class is back in session at Stages, where Denise Fennell is donning the habit once more to play Sister, everyone's favorite nun.

Sister's Irish Catechism: Saints, Snakes, and Green Milkshakes! leads the audience in a brand-new catechism class, digging deep into Irish traditions and saintly lore to celebrate the faithful — and the party animals, too.

Be prepared for plenty of audience participation at this show, which has been selling out every weekend so far and only runs through March 17.

Photo courtesy of Stages

Denise Fennell returns as Sister.

To help get you in the mood to participate, you can grab a drink from the Gordy Bar before curtain and during intermission and bring it into the theater with you!

Fennell and co-playwright Maripat Donovan have been blessing Houston with Sister's wisdom for years, and you won't want to miss this latest lucky production.

Performance times are Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 pm, Friday and Saturday at 8 pm, and Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:30 pm. The show runs approximately two hours, including a fifteen-minute intermission.

One of Sister's goals this year is to enter the St. Patrick's Day Parade, and by the luck of the Irish she's actually doing it on March 16. Sister and other members of the Stage crew are walking in the Houston Saint Patrick's Day Parade, and there's even a petition floating around to make Sister the grand marshal.

Sister's Irish Catechism is onstage now through March 17 only, so be sure to get your tickets early. Sister doesn't tolerate tardiness!

theater holidays video promoted

taking center stage

Stage adaptation of iconic Black movie Jason's Lyric to debut in Houston

Courtesy of Jason's Lyric

Most of the movie's cast will appear in the play.

Next year, Houston writer/producer/director/promoter Je’Caryous Johnson will be bringing another beloved Black movie to the live stage.

Jason’s Lyric will join New Jack City and Set It Off in the lineup of ‘90s Black-movie favorites that Johnson has adapted for the stage. The 1994 made-in-Houston drama stars Allen Payne and a pre-Will Smith Jada Pinkett as young lovers trying to maintain a relationship as conflicts and obstacles keep getting in the way.

Jason’s Lyric Live will go on a nationwide, 22-city tour, premiering right here in H-Town on Thursday, February 13 — just in time for Valentine’s Day.

“Houston is my home, and bringing Jason’s Lyric Live to life here first is my way of paying homage to the city and its people who inspired this story,” Johnson said in a statement. “This is more than a play; it’s a love letter to the community.”

Payne will reprise his role as Jason, with actress/model Eva Marcille stepping in Pinkett’s role as Lyric. Naughty by Nature rapper Treach, who played Lyric’s criminal big brother Alonzo in the movie, will also return to the role for the stage production. Tyrin Turner (Menace II Society), K. Michelle (Love & Hip Hop), and Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs (Welcome Back, Kotter) will round out the cast.

"Jason’s Lyric is one of the films that defined my career as an actor,” Payne said. “To bring it to life on stage for audiences who loved the movie — and a new generation experiencing it for the first time — is an incredible honor."

Marcille is also psyched for the show, taking on the role that Pinkett memorably brought to life. "Lyric is a character who embodies resilience and hope, and I’m honored to bring her story to life on stage,” Marcille said.

Tickets will go on sale this Friday, December 13, at 10 am. For a full list of dates and ticket information, visit the website.