Fountain Hills Theater has announced the opening of the hilarious musical, “Nunsense.”

“Nunsense” will play May 6-22, with performances 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays, at 11445 N. Saguaro Blvd.

Individual tickets are $35 for adults and $18 for ages 17 and younger; seniors receive a $5 discount on all Thursday performances, group rate discounts are available, as are discounts for veteran and active duty personnel.  

Five survivors at the Little Sisters of Hoboken nunnery, the rest of the sisterhood having succumbed to botulism after eating vichyssoise prepared by Sister Julia, Child of God, stage a variety show to raise funds so that the last four of the dearly departed can be buried. The “Nunsense” concept originated as a line of greeting cards featuring a nun offering tart quips with a clerical slant. The cards caught on so quickly that author Dan Goggins decided to expand the concept into a cabaret show called “The Nunsense Story,” which opened for a four-day run at Manhattan's Duplex and remained for 38 weeks, encouraging its creator to expand it into a full-length theater production.

The original production of “Nunsense,” directed by Goggins, opened Dec. 12, 1985 at the Off-Broadway Cherry Lane Theatre, moving to the Douglas Fairbanks Theater for the majority of its ten-year run. It ran for 3,672 performances, becoming the second-longest running Off-Broadway show in history (after “The Fantasticks”). By the time it closed, it had become an international phenomenon translated into at least 26 languages with more than 8,000 productions worldwide.

“Nunsense” is produced by Patty Torrilhon, directed and choreographed by Noel Irick and musically directed by Robin Peterson. It stars Brianne Gobeski, Courtney Jacobs, Tina Khalil, Tanya Schoenwolf and Punawai Tietz. “Nunsense” is presented through Special Arrangement with Concord Theatricals.

Tickets are available through the theater box office at 480-837-9661 x3 or by visiting fhtaz.org. Box office hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.

Masks are recommended indoors.