When I read the musical Sister Act on the program for the 2024 Ruggito d'Atore theater Award, I was surprised and waited to understand how a Broadway and Hollywood classic could adapt to the small Alvito Theater in distant Ciociaria on the borders of the empire.
The occasion of the musical was also to bring together our friend Carolina di Cocco, Town Ambassador of Fontechiari and former minister of culture of Ontario, with the dynamic Luciana Martini, the mayor of Alvito and all together we pleasantly tasted a glass of wine at the end of the show talking about the present and future of the Comino Valley and the links with Canada.
The story of Sister Act is well known: a nightclub singer witnesses a murder and is forced to take refuge in a convent where she will spend her time taking care of the choir. The musical transformations correspond to a new opening of the convent to society and the success of the choir will lead to the visit of the Pope.
The 1992 film starring Whoopi Goldberg then turned it into a masterpiece broadcast at least a couple of times a year on television. Generally, when you have these elements of contact you enter minefields where the public's expectations are high.
The theater company was the Teatro dei Mercanti of Monte San Giovanni Campano directed by Giuseppe Nardozi, who also played the role of the show's gangster, it was surprising and the numerous open-stage applause from the audience underlined the audience's appreciation.
It is true that this company was born over 20 years ago around the musical 'Add a seat at the table', but the difficulties of a small stage and of singing in English are an additional difficulty, a continuous challenge to the actors/singers who we remember they only do it out of personal passion.
The protagonist Claudia Pellegrini was superb and all the chorus girls, starting from Aurora Lisi and Eleonora Patti, were perfect. Their voices bounced and brought the whole audience to life.
At the end of the show, we met Eleonora Caliciotti, the singing teacher, who surprised us by telling us that her protagonist was making her absolute debut. Claudia is 38 years old, married with children and had decided to test herself and succeeded perfectly!
I honestly thought it was a choir that had tried its hand at a musical, but instead Eleonora told us that none of the 'sisters' had singing experience and that she started rehearsing in October, meeting only once a week.
At this point I congratulate Eleonora Caliciotti and the director Giuseppe Nardozi for their courage and professionalism, and I am sure that they will go far. If you find any replica of their show, go and see it immediately, don't waste time because the show was Sold Out a few days after tickets went on sale.
This Actor's Ruggito theater award is making me discover real treasures and every time I think that we are no longer the outskirts of the empire but a true pulsating center of culture, life and joy.
Till soon!
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