A Reel Role : Chapman Choir and Its Conductor Play Tough Part in ‘Sister Act 2’

The Chapman University choir has a prominent role in Whoopi Goldberg’s new movie, “Sister Act 2 : Back in the Habit.” But don’t buy a ticket with the idea of cheering for the local good guys.

Rather, the singers play the film’s heavy--a fictional choir defending its state championship against some upstarts from a poor Catholic high school in San Francisco.

Guess who conducts the underdog choir? Goldberg, of course.

Goldberg’s counterpart in the movie is Chapman Music Dean William Hall, who directs a “sort of arrogant choir,” he said in a recent interview on campus.

We will not tell you who wins, but you can assume that Goldberg’s group makes it tough for the haughty singers from Chapman.

Being in a top-billed motion picture proved to be great fun for the 35 student singers from Chapman University and another 15 from Orange High School who filled out the fictional singing group.

“The choir I conduct in the movie is a combined group of Chapman and Orange High students,” Hall said. “I had to get Orange High students because when they called me in August, school was out and I couldn’t get hold of many of the Chapman choir members. So I recruited some students from Orange High School.”

The group depicted in the movie is called the “Chapman Choir of Orange County’s Grand High School.” There is no Grand High School in Orange County: that’s just motion picture magic. But there is a Chapman Choir at Chapman University here, and it is conducted by Hall.

Hall, 59, who holds a Ph.D. from USC, is well-known in the music world, having made international appearances as a conductor and produced several records.

Although “Sister Act 2” is only make-believe, how Hollywood came to cast Hall and the Chapman Choir is almost a movie within a movie.

Cut to August.

“Sister Act 2”--with a planned Christmas opening--is in trouble. To the moguls’ dismay, their first choice for a champion choir is not working out. A replacement group is needed--and fast. Two engineers on the movie set, who had previously worked with Hall at a recording studio, suggest that the producers call the Chapman music dean.

“I was called on a Friday night and asked if I could put together a choir for the following Sunday afternoon at 4,” Hall said. “I was told to put together 50 kids and to have them sing ‘Joyful, Joyful.’ ”

Within two days, Hall had assembled the combined Chapman-Orange High singers, drafted a special version of “Joyful, Joyful,” and led one 30-minute practice.

The movie’s music director and assistant listened to the group. “The music director liked it,” Hall said. “He asked if we could be at the studio the following morning.”

Before filming began, Hall conferred with the movie’s director, Bill Duke.

“I asked him: ‘What are we supposed to do? Are we supposed to win? How do you want us on the stage?’ ” Hall said.

Duke told him he wanted the Chapman group to do something “military-like” for the camera--something arrogant and intimidating. The idea, Hall said, was that the champion choir was to show off its power, try to break down the challengers’ confidence.

Hall, an Air Force veteran, quickly devised a drill step for the movie choir.

“It was one, stomp, turn, and one, stomp, turn,” Hall said. “They turned and clicked their heels together. And I told the choir members to look really mad and arrogant. It worked very well. The director almost fell out of his chair; he thought it was the greatest thing since peanut butter and jam.”

The Chapman-Orange High students had a nine-day shoot. The students appear for only a few minutes in the last part of the film and none has a speaking role. But the singing competition is the climax of the movie, and their music is included on soundtrack compact discs now being sold.

Hall has a key role as a heavy. He said his students at Chapman were tickled when Duke told him to be arrogant while conducting the choir.

“The students, in unison, responded, ‘Now, that’s a stretch!’ ” Hall recalled with a grin.

Chapman students said they have fond memories of the experience.

“Whoopi Goldberg is a real neat lady,” said Jean-Paul Van Hulle, 20, of Orange. “She had some moments of tension . . . but she handled herself really well.”

The students wear colorful gold and black robes in the movie, said Van Hulle, adding that “there was a lot of sitting around (between takes), but it was fun.”

Brett Young, 18, of Modesto said that at first he thought Hall was putting him on about the possibility of being in a movie.

“(Hall) is a big kidder like that,” said Young, adding that it was a great experience singing in the film and “we come off amazingly.”

The first motion picture experience may not be the last for Chapman’s choir, Hall said.

“I’ve already received two more calls (from Hollywood) asking us to perform,” he said. “We couldn’t do either of those, but I’m sure there will be some more work for us.”