Matthew McGee knows his way around a stage. The longtime performer has entertained audiences throughout Tampa Bay for years – surprisingly often, he notes, in religious attire.
“I have put on the nun’s habit more frequently than most actors could say,” McGee muses. “Especially male actors. I don’t know why I haven’t become a Sister of Perpetual Indulgence, but maybe that’s on the To Do list.”
This month marks his third time playing Mother Superior in “Nunsense: A-Men,” the all-male version of the musical “Nunsense.” The celebrated comedy has spawned six sequels and three spin-offs since its 1985 debut.
This time McGee will play the show’s lead at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts, running July 13-Aug. 7 in the Jaeb Theater.
“When Sister Julia accidentally poisons 52 sisters with her soup, problems unfold,” its synopsis reads. “The nuns’ funds aren’t enough to cover the multiple burial costs, so Mother Superior, portrayed by award-winning local actor and drag performer Matthew McGee, organizes a talent show fundraiser to raise the money.
“Based on the original ‘Nunsense’ show, these ‘sisters’ are ‘brothers,’” it continues. “Think of it as ‘Mrs. Doubtfire enters the convent.’”
While McGee has emceed events for the Tampa staple in and out of drag for years, the production marks his professional debut on a Straz stage.
“I saw the show ‘Sheer Madness’ at the Jaeb Theater when I first moved to the Tampa Bay area,” McGee recalls. “I said, ‘if there’s one thing I really want to do should I stay in this town – and it’s been over 20 years now – it’s work there. It really took that long.
“‘Nunsense: A-Men’ came into play and I’ve done the show, so it seemed like a good fit,” he continues. “The clouds parted and there I was. It just worked out and has been really great.”
McGee is particularly thrilled to take part in a Straz-produced show. After a multi-year hiatus, the organization recently began producing work again with local talent, presenting engaging runs of “Shout! The Mod Musical” and “Little Shop of Horrors.”
“It’s exciting for Straz to be able to offer more options, especially since these options employ local artists; everybody from actors to musicians to designers,” McGee says. “Most of the time Straz is bringing in these amazing shows from out of town and it’s nice to see them produce something right here, working so closely with all the artists in town. We live in an amazing market, especially for theater, and it’s nice to have another venue doing that.”
Its star sees “Nunsense: A-Men” as a perfect addition to Straz’s lineup.
“It has a long history,” McGee explains. “One of the things that ‘Nunsense’ is famous for is that putting it in a season can make enough money to help pay for the other productions. It’s a crowd pleaser with great music and has nuns doing choreography, which is hilarious in and of itself.
“It’s also sweet with a lot of heart to it – and with men in the role, there’s a different edge,” he notes. “It’s funny in the same way that the show always is, but in some different ways for both the audience and the actors. You’re a nun once you put on the habit, but the jokes hit very different.”
Four nuns join McGee onstage. JS McLaughlin plays Sister Mary Hubert, Aaron Castle plays Sister Mary Amnesia, Ryan-Patrick McLaughlin is Sister Robert Anne and Jaryn McCann brings Sister Mary Leo to life.
McLaughlin’s Mary Hubert is the “right hand gal” of Mother Superior, McGee says. The comedic duo works closely throughout the show.
“We are playing nuns and nuns we are,” McLaughlin says. The production marks his second time in the role, one of his favorites. “The cast is great, our director is stellar and we have wonderful management.”
The Straz production is also high energy. “It has a lot more dancing than any production of this show I’ve ever done,” McLaughin promises.
“You’re talking about only five people on stage, where all five have to sing their own part. It’s tricky,” McGee adds. “Everyone has to be a really solid musician.”
That’s because “at certain points, all five nuns have their own separate parts to sing,” he continues. “It’s deceptively difficult and takes a ton of work; it is a lot for five people to do.”
McLaughlin agrees. The performer suggests audiences see it multiple times “to catch all the bits.”
“We are doing the most,” he says. “We hope our audience sees the love and light we are trying to bring to this kind of messy world. We want you to laugh and have a holy time.”
While that’s been true for every production McGee has helmed as Mother Superior, he says his third time has come most naturally. The performer credits his age, which is closer to the character’s than ever before.
“I’m only about 50 years old, so I’ve still got some more left in me,” he says, “but what’s interesting is that ultimately I understand Reverend Mother a little bit better.” He last played the role more than a decade ago.
“A lot of people don’t stay with acting forever, but if you do, when you get older, you become a better actor, and I think it’s because you just live,” McGee says. “So there are things that she talks about that I may not have understood over a decade ago, whereas now I really get them. It’s easier, I think.”
While the show isn’t without some gravitas, the performer stresses that “Nunsense” is largely about levity. McGee says that’s why the musical stands the test of time, particularly for LGBTQ audiences who can enjoy the nuances of “A-Men.”
“Theater right now finds itself in an interesting place,” he says. “It’s all about trying to get people back and a lot of the time, theaters want to spend a great deal of their time educating people. They want to turn a mirror on people, they want everything to have social significance.
“‘Nunsense’ doesn’t have that and that’s what’s great about it,” he notes. “It’s just a great night out and I think that’s needed as well. Knowing what I know about our community and everything that’s playing in Tampa Bay this summer, ‘Nunsense’ is the best bet for a lot of laughs and a lot of fun.”
“Nunsense: A-Men” plays at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts July 13-Aug. 7, located at 1010 N. Macinnes Pl. in Tampa. For tickets and more information, call 813-229-7827 and visit StrazCenter.org.
