Whoopi Goldberg is returning to one of her most recognizable roles, as the actress will play her Sister Act character in an upcoming stage musical adaptation of the classic comedy in the summer of 2020. Released in 1992, the original Sister Act movie featured Goldberg in the starring role of Deloris Van Cartier, a part which she later reprised in the official sequel from 1993.

Goldberg hasn't played Deloris since, meaning this will be her first time portraying the classic character in 27 years. Of course, it will also be her first time playing the role of Deloris on stage, though it's worth noting Goldberg played Mother Superior in the 2010 version of the Sister Act musical, which was performed at the London Palladium.

Performances of the new Sister Act musical will begin in London at the end of July, with the showings lasting just over a month. For this particular show, the Deloris role will be reworked by original writers Alan Menken, Glenn Slater (score), and Douglas Carter (book) to make the character older to accommodate Goldberg's casting. Co-starring with Goldberg in the production will be Jennier Saunders (Absolutely Fabulous) as the Mother Superior. Goldberg's role as Deloris will also reportedly be portrayed by Brenda Edwards at Thursday matinees after playing the role on a UK tour starting in April of next year. Bill Buckhurst is directing the project with Stephen Brooker serving as musical supervisor and Alistair David as choreographer. Morgan Large, Tim Mitchell, and Tom Marshall are handling the set, lighting, and sound design.

The original Sister Act movie was released in 1992, directed by Emile Ardolino using a screenplay written by Joseph Howard with musical arrangements by Marc Shaiman. The musical comedy stars Whoopi Goldberg as a lounge singer forced to join a convent after entering the witness protection program with hilarious results. The 1993 sequel Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit brought back Goldberg as Deloris once again, also featuring many other returning cast members like Kathy Najimy, Maggie Smith, Wendy Makkena, and Mary Wickes. Starting in 2007, the stage musical version of the movie began having live performances, with a variety of performers stepping into the roles over the years.

It's also possible we'll see Goldberg playing Deloris in another Sister Act movie sequel as well. Last year, it was reported that a third Sister Act movie was in development at Disney to be a part of the company's upcoming Disney+ streaming service. Regina Hicks and Karin Gist were hired to pen the screenplay, but updates on its progress have been rather silent since. It was also unconfirmed whether or not Goldberg would be involved with the planned sequel, but given her upcoming reprisal of her role in the London stage play, chances are the actress would be very open to it.

The Sister Act stage musical will run from July 29 through August 30, 2020, at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith. Even if Goldberg winds up coming back for Sister Act 3, seeing her first reprise the role of Deloris live and in-person would certainly be an incredible opportunity for fans. You can find out more information and buy tickets over at WhatsOnStage.com.