NEW YORK (Reuters) – Whoopi Goldberg will open a musical version of her hit 1992 nun comedy "Sister Act" on London's West End next June.

The show, which the actress will produce, features music by Alan Menken, an eight-time Oscar winner who wrote many songs for such Disney movies as "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty & The Beast," "Aladdin" and "Enchanted." Casting for the show will be announced next year.

"If you are fortunate enough to be a part of something wonderful, I feel it's important to pass the baton," Goldberg said Thursday.

"The best way for me to be a part of this new incarnation of 'Sister Act' is to make sure everyone knows it's happening. The stage version of the show is fresh and new and I'm beyond thrilled to be part of it."

In the film, which spawned a 1993 sequel "Sister Act 2," Goldberg played a singer who witnessed a murder and is put into protective custody by police -- disguised as a nun in a convent. She sets about turning the convent's off-key choir into stars but in the process risks blowing her cover.

Source: REUTERS