Kat Reynolds channels her inner disco diva for Theatre Under the Stars’ Sister Act
The Vancouver performer straps on the platform shoes and readies her powerhouse voice for musical based on the movies she grew up watching
Sister Act. Photo by Emily Cooper
Theatre Under the Stars presents Sister Act from July 7 to August 21 at Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park
DISCO. GANGSTERS. NUNS.
The ’90s smash-hits Sister Act and Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, starring Whoopi Goldberg, had a little bit of everything and a whole lot of heart. It’s no wonder they became enduring classics of the family comedy genre.
For Kat Reynolds, these movies were staples in her childhood home. This summer, she comes full circle, making her Theatre Under the Stars debut in the leading role of Deloris Van Cartier in Sister Act at the Malkin Bowl.
The musical, based on the original movie, follows Deloris—an aspiring disco diva who is forced to go into hiding at a convent after witnessing her gangster boyfriend commit a crime. Disguised as her new persona, Sister Mary Clarence, Deloris is tasked with taking over the convent’s choir, eventually developing a deep bond with her fellow sisters as they work together to find their inner voices and strength.
This isn’t the first time Bahamas-born, Vancouver-based Reynolds has taken on the wannabe disco diva. She first stepped into Deloris’s platform shoes during an Edmonton dinner-theatre production in 2019.
Since the pandemic, however, Reynolds had shifted her focus from theatre to film writing and directing. Her recent work includes 2024’s “A Day In The (After)Life of Diane Staples”, which picked up the Canadian Comedy Film Igniter Award at the Canadian Film Fest; this year’s S”o Happy For You”, which was awarded Best LGBT Short at Toronto Short Film Festival; and “Gone Viral”, which she cowrote and directed at the 2026 Crazy 8s short filmmaking challenge.
But when director-choreographer Peter Jorgensen—whom Reynolds had previously worked on the Arts Club Theatre Company productions Rock of Ages and Avenue Q—approached her about playing Deloris once more, Reynolds knew she couldn’t refuse.
For her, the opportunity to once again work on her favourite show was too good to pass up.
“It’s the music, it’s the themes, and it’s this character’s emotional journey that is extremely fulfilling,” she tells Stir. “It has so much heart while delivering an insane amount of comedy. It’s just really well written and has the potential to move an audience to tears and make them burst out in laughter in seconds. It’s wild.”
But returning to musical theatre after a five-year hiatus has required a lot of preparation. Reynolds immediately reached out to her New York–based vocal coach Kaitlyn Davis to see if her voice was up to the challenge.
“She has really helped me find my voice again and find what my voice is now, all these years later, because it has changed and shifted,” Reynolds says. “These songs are not easy and she gave me the space to explore.”
Kat Reynolds in Sister Act. Photo by Emily Cooper
Preparing for a summer of outdoor performances at the Malkin Bowl means vocal hygiene is top of mind for Reynolds. The performer’s routine involves a vocal mist and strict warm-ups and cool downs. She’s also added daily cardio to train her breath control and vocal stamina for the show’s powerhouse mix of not just disco but Motown, soul, R&B, and gospel.
“It’s all about taking care of the instrument and the technicalities outside of rehearsal, so that the work can just live within the process,” she says.
To tap into Deloris’s mindset, Reynolds has created a character collage—a tradition she does for every piece she works on—filled with disco imagery, sparkles, and positive feminine energy. She’s also created a personalized playlist, all Gloria Gaynor, Donna Summer, and Candi Staton. “It’s all I’ve been listening to,” she laughs.
Playing opposite Reynolds as the formidable Mother Superior is Angela Donahue, whom Reynolds describes as “amazing, kind and so talented”.
In the musical, there is a bit of a love story between Deloris and Eddie, the hardworking police officer assigned to protect her, but Reynolds says, “I really do think that the pinnacle—the main love story—is between Mother Superior and Deloris. We’ve got great chemistry. She’s just a very strong actor and a great person, and I love working with her.”
Though the entire cast is new to Reynolds, she says she feels completely supported and blown away by the talent surrounding her.
“The chemistry in the room is really, really solid, which is so important with a show about sisterhood,” she explains. “With Deloris’s journey, she starts off thinking that music is the thing that will set her apart to make her stand out as an individual, and she just wants to be a star. She slowly realizes that through music, it’s really about community and this sisterhood and friendship that she didn't think was possible for her. I feel very lucky that I so enjoy these sisters that I’m sharing this story and these emotional journeys with.”
Ultimately, Reynolds hopes that emotional journey translates to the audience under the stars this summer.
“I hope that they can sit and watch and kind of turn their brain off,” Reynolds says. “I would love for it to be a welcome distraction from anything in the outside world that doesn’t feel so great right now—because there’s a lot going on—and I feel like this musical has the ability to really lift people up and really move people.” 
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