Rejoice! Smash Broadway Musical ’Sister Act’ Breaks Out This Month on the Jordan-Matthews Stage

SILER CITY, N.C. — Uplifting, feel-good musical comedy breaks out in Siler City this month when Jordan-Matthews High School presents “Sister Act,” the smash musical — based on the hit 1992 film starring Whoopi Goldberg — that was nominated for five 2011 Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

Performances are Friday, March 20, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, March 21, at 7 p.m.; and Sunday, March 22, at 3 p.m. General admission tickets are $10 each and available online at JMArtsTickets.com. Remaining tickets will be sold at the door before each performance. No passes, including Chatham County Schools and senior citizens’ passes, can be accepted. Everyone entering the theater, regardless of age, must have a ticket. 

When disco diva Deloris Van Cartier witnesses a murder, she’s put in protective custody, hidden in the one place the cops are sure she won’t be a found: a convent. Disguised as a nun, she quickly finds herself at odds with the rigid lifestyle and an uptight Mother Superior, but still manages to use her unique disco moves and singing talent to inspire the choir.

Her success breathes new life into the church and community, but also blows her cover. Soon, the gang is giving chase, only to find themselves up against Deloris — plus the power of her newly found sisterhood.

Filled with powerful gospel music, energetic dancing and a truly moving story, “Sister Act” is a sparkling tribute to the universal power of friendship and a great reason to rejoice!

Jordan-Matthews brings a huge production to the stage with a 33-member cast and six-member stage crew. Carpentry students constructed the musical's multilevel set and art students produced scenery.

Producer Rose Pate says “Sister Act” is a delightful retelling of the original film, full of joyful music and great comic characters. “As most Generation X and up fans of the movie will remember, the content is PG, with some gunplay and mild profanity. But the warm-hearted message of sisterhood and friendship make this a wonderful show for families with older elementary students and teens.”

About 200 individuals and groups work together each year to bring the Jordan-Matthews musical to life. This year’s effort is led by a creative team including director Mikala Richardson, music director Allison Blaylock, technical director Aaron Partin, art director Laura Newman and dance directors Hannah Marr and Sawyer Kadel. Cynthia Bredenberg and Heath Smith are assisting with wardrobe and makeup.

“Sister Act” is produced by JMArts with assistance from Belk Building Supply and Bynum Front Porch. The production is licensed by Music Theatre International.

More about the musical and other JMArts projects to create opportunity for high school artists is available at jmarts.org and through social media @JMHSArts on Facebook, Instagram and Threads.

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Mother Superior (left, Felix Banks) is trying to make Deloris (right, Angel Johnson) live like a nun, but she’s not cooperating — and Sister Mary Robert (Delaney Fuquay) just prays everyone will get along. “Sister Act,” the smash Broadway musical running March 20-22 at Jordan-Matthews High School, was adapted from the 1992 film starring Whoopi Goldberg. (Photo by Chip Pate)

Can Detective Souther (right, Hunter Scott) protect Deloris (Angel Johnson) from the gangster (Aaron Burrows) bent on wiping her out? Find out when more than 30 student actors take the stage at Jordan-Matthews from March 20-22 to present three performances of the Broadway musical, “Sister Act.” In all, about 200 individuals and organizations are working together to bring the story to life. (Photo by Chip Pate)

Work by JM artist Charline Jimenez Rojo selected for UNC Pembroke Juried Art Exhibition

SILER CITY, N.C. — Charline Jimenez Rojo, a Jordan-Matthews High School artist, has had work selected for the 45th Annual Juried High School Art Exhibition at UNC Pembroke.

Created to provide a professionally organized gallery exhibition that celebrates student talent and accomplishment, the exhibition runs from Thursday, March 19, through Saturday, March 28, in the university's A.D. Gallery. Juror for this year’s exhibition is John Rhodes-Pruitt, an artist whose work combines printmaking, alternative-process photography, origami and drawing.

Jimenez Rojo is a JMArts-NC Arts Incubator Scholar who studied last summer in the UNCG Summer Art and Design Intensive. Early last fall, she was named a 2025-26 Chatham Artists Guild Emerging Artist, being accepted into a competitive membership program to develop promising artistic talent.

Her functional vase, “Delight,” is designed with all that is beautiful in the garden. Butterflies land on a cascade of flowers with twirling vines in a sea of blues and greens. The garden sparkles day and night with delight, while one flower hides to give you a surprise.

Laura Newman, art teacher at Jordan-Matthews, said her student is willing to take a risk with her pottery — always experimenting and challenging herself.

“She’s eager to share her knowledge with others, because she gets so much joy from creating,” Newman said. “She wants others to have this experience as well and others to share in this joy.

“Charline is a brave artist. She approaches her work with an engineering mind and doesn’t get hung up on mistakes. Pottery is an art form that involves risk and chance; you’re not sure what the kiln is going to do to your creation. Will it come out the way you envisioned it? It’s a game of chance and skill.”

All Jordan-Matthews visual and performing artists who receive awards and special honors throughout the year are listed on the JMArts website — at JMArts.org/awards — along with all 79 JMArts Scholars since 2012 and recipients of major, annual arts awards dating back to 2015.

JMArts is a nonprofit foundation created to provide what Jordan-Matthews artists need to excel — including performance showcases, educational opportunities, instruments and supplies, and even new ways of looking at the world. All money received from individual donations, theater admission fees and fundraising events goes directly to projects for students.

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“Delight,” a functional pottery vase by Charline Jimenez Rojo, was selected for the UNCP 45th Annual Juried High School Art Exhibition. The exhibition runs from March 19-28 at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. (Photo by Laura Newman)

Charline Jimenez Rojo designed her pottery vase, “Delight,” to represent all that is beautiful in the garden. Jordan-Matthews art teacher Laura Newman says her student is always experimenting and challenging herself. (Photo by Laura Newman)

Charline Jimenez Rojo works on her pottery vase that was selected for UNC Pembroke’s 45th Annual Juried High School Art Exhibition. Expressing all that is beautiful in the garden, her work features a cascade of butterflies, twirling vines and flowers. (Photo by Laura Newman)

Having work selected for the juried high school art exhibition is Charline Jimenez Rojo’s latest honor. The JMArts board member also has been named a 2025 JMArts-NC Arts Incubator Scholar and 2025-26 Chatham Artists Guild Emerging Artist. (Photo by Laura Newman)

Student musicians take top prizes in JMArts’s eighth-annual Sing and Play

SILER CITY, N.C. — Seven local students — two soloists and one five-member band — took top prizes last night in Sing and Play ’26, the eighth-annual student music competition at Jordan-Matthews High School. From auditions through the showcase concert, the event is designed as an educational experience for young musicians and a fun benefit concert for JMArts, the Jordan-Matthews Arts Foundation.

Audience members voted Mariah McCrimmon of Virginia Cross Elementary School as best performance in the elementary division for her vocal rendition of “Read All About It,” a song by Emeli Sandé, written with Stephen Manderson, Tom Barnes, Ben Kohn, Peter Kelleher and Iain James.

Eleanor Hueske of Margaret B. Pollard Middle School finished on top of the middle school competition with her vocal performance of “Rolling in the Deep,” a song by Adele, written with Paul Epworth.

And in the high school competition, Keylor and the Chipettes of Jordan-Matthews High School took the prize for “Creep,” a song by Radiohead with Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood. Members of the band are Hernan Cortez, Griselda Escobar Umanzor, Titiana Eliana Escobar Umanzor, Sarah Preciado and Keylor Ureña-Seceña.

The winner in each of the three divisions received a $50 prize.

“I’m thrilled with the tremendous talent and the tremendous support our whole community showed to our students and their love of making music,” said Rose Pate, president of JMArts. “This event really was a showcase — and a great evening of family entertainment.”

All money raised by the competition is used by JMArts to expand opportunity for high school artists. That includes JMArts Scholars, the nonprofit’s flagship initiative that allows high school actors, dancers, musicians and visual artists to study over the summer — usually at weeklong, residential workshops on university campuses. Since being launched in 2012, JMArts Scholars program has awarded 113 scholarships to 79 students.

This year’s receipts were designated for the JMArts-Summer Soria Mora Scholarships to honor the memory of the Jordan-Matthews musician who passed away earlier this year.

Musicians from Chatham County and across the state were eligible for Sing and Play. Contestants in the showcase concert were selected during open auditions by judges Greg Burriss, Gina Harrison and Sandra Lopez.

Pate expects “Sing and Play” to return next year with registration for auditions opening sometime around December 1. JMArts is already looking at possible dates for next year’s competition, which is likely to be held once again in mid- to late-February.

More information about “Sing and Play” and other arts events scheduled this season is available at jmarts.org. Photos from this year's showcase concert are online at facebook.com/JMHSArts.

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Champions of “Sing and Play ’26” with the show’s co-hosts are, from left, co-host Hunter Scott, Keylor Ureña-Seceña, Hernan Cortez, Griselda Escobar Umanzor, Mariah McCrimmon, Sarah Preciado, Titiana Eliana Escobar Umanzor, Eleanor Hueske and co-host Delaney Fuquay.

Elementary School Champion: Mariah McCrimmon of Virginia Cross Elementary.

Middle School Champion: Eleanor Hueske of Margaret B. Pollard Middle School.

High School Champion: Keylor and the Chipettes of Jordan-Matthews High School with show co-hosts. From left, Hunter Scott, Sarah Preciado, Titiana Eliana Escobar Umanzor, Griselda Escobar Umanzor, Hernan Cortez, Keylor Ureña-Seceña and Delaney Fuquay.