"Now listen, I know you've got to think about your image, cause image is important to you, because of course your friends are gonna dictate your actions through the rest of your lives, and I wouldn't want you to step away from them and become an individual, that would almost be too much!"

"If you wake up in the morning, and you can't think anything but singing, then you should be a singer, girl."

"[After Maria has said she doesn't know the words of a song and her classmates snicker] Hey, hey - excuse me! It is NOT Maria's fault, that she does not know that Mary had a lamb. It is not - and I say this to you - it is *not* Maria's fault. Because maybe, MAYBE where Maria came from, Mary had a dog! Or a lil kitty cat! Or a little bald headed brother named Bart! It is NOT her fault and we're not going to tell her it is, are we? No, we are not!"

"And the first thing you're gonna do, gentlemen, is take off those hats. This is a brand... new... day. [Class laughs at boys' hair] I guess that means you're gonna be combing your hair before you come to my class. [To girl behind Rita] And, I know you're laughing over there 'cause you think this is very funny, Miss Thing, but there is no sun in this room, you will not get a tan. Take off those sunglasses. [Turns to "hat" boys] That goes for you, too. If they're not prescription, I don't wanna see 'em. I want to see YOU, I want to be able to look into YOUR eyes, I want you to be able to look into mine."

"So because you think they sang it better you all are ready to leave 'cause you got scared? Aw yea, nah, that's your MO. See that's how you operate: Ooo, something new, better run away! Forget about all the people who busted their butt to get you here 'cause they believed in you. Let me remind you of something, ok: if you wanna go somewhere and you wanna be somebody, you better wake up and pay attention. Because if every time something scary comes up you decide to run, y'all gonna be running for the rest of your lives."

"[To Rita] You take the top and I'll take the bottom. Just try it."

"[Reading a letter on Rita's desk] "Dear Mama, I went to the all-state music competition. I never meant to hurt you but I had to follow my heart. Please forgive me. I love you, Rita.""

"James Coburn – Mr. Crisp"

"Mary Wickes – Sister Mary Lazarus"

"Michael Jeter – Father Ignatius"

"Wendy Makkena – Sister Mary Robert"

"Maggie Smith – Reverend Mother"

"Thomas Gottschalk – Father Wolfgang"

"Brad Sullivan – Father Thomas"

"Lauryn Hill – Rita Louise Watson"

"[Entering the rap circle] I got the flow, you all gotta go, so pick up your bags so we can go, ho-ho! Uh-huh, ow, ow, NOW! Thank you, thank you."

"[The students are standing at the top of a stairwell full of cobwebs] Hurry up, I wouldn't want any of those spiders to get in those weaves some of you are wearing, I can tell."

"[To the music class] I'm gonna turn you guys into a choir."

"Mark Bittner as Himself."