“I feel like we have a party every night. Delores is really a diva. She likes to be in the spotlight, but also has an incredible bond with the nuns,” said Dene Hill, who plays the role of Deloris Van Cartier, during a press event Tuesday in Seoul.

Unlike the movie, the show is set in the late 1970s Philadelphia and uses music from the era like disco and soul.

“The most charming thing (about the show) is the music,” said musical director and conductor Christopher Babbage. “The scores really support the story and keep the audience with us. The audience keeps humming and leave the show on a musical high.”

The show also stars Brandon Godfrey as Curtis Jackson, Rebecca Mason-Wygal as the Mother Superior and Will T. Travis as Eddie Souther.

Godfrey, who plays a lover-turned-evil character who sets out to kill Delores to cover up his crime, said the trick was not to play Curtis Jackson as a standard villain.

His efforts seem to have paid off, as “When I Find My Baby,” which he sang during Tuesday’s event, comes across as sleek and cool rather than slimy and cruel.

“The key thing is to make sure that I don’t play an angry villain,” he said. “He is a popular guy in the community. ... If you don’t play him as the villain, his words are evil, but they don’t come off that way.”

Another cast member that stands out is Kim So-hyang -- also known as Sophie Kim -- who is the first Korean actress to be cast in the US production of “Sister Act.”

Playing the young, timid Sister Mary Robert, her breakout number “The Life I Never Led” expresses her desire to break free from restraints -- such as the abstinence that comes with living in a convent -- and lead a new life.

Cast members and Babbage on Tuesday promised the audience that they would be in for a delightfully hilarious night.

“By the end, it is impossible not to be smiling. No matter what mood you’re in, you’re going to leave feeling better than you did coming in,” said Babbage.

The original West End production of “Sister Act” opened in 2009 and was produced by Stage Entertainment and Whoopi Goldberg. The show has been nominated for several Tony Awards and Laurence Olivier Awards, including best musical for Tonys in 2011.

Tickets for the show in Seoul range from 60,000 won to 140,000 won, and are available for those aged 7 and above. For tickets, call 1544-1555 or visit Interpark’s homepage.

The show starts at 8 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Wednesdays and at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on weekends and holidays. There are no shows on Mondays.

The show is 2 1/2 hours, with a 20-minute intermission.

By Yoon Min-sik (minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)