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Nun Sister Cristina Set To Rock ‘Sister Act’ Musical

Michael Howard is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Michael Howard is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Sister Cristina, who won the Italian version of “The Voice,” will star in the “Sister Act” musical.

The popular Italian nun, Sister Cristina Scuccia is now going into acting. Last year, this “Singing Nun” performed and won 'The Voice of Italy” award on June 5th, in Milan, Italy, which is also the city where her convent is. Scuccia will be starring in a musical stage production of the 1992 hit movie Sister Act; It will be opening in Rome on December 10th at the Brancaccio Theater.

Last year, 27-year-old Sister Christina, also known as “Suor Christina”, blew away the judges and the audiences with her exceptional vocal performances on Italy’s version of The Voice. She performed renditions of pop/Top 40 classic hits by artists like Bon Jovi and Alicia Keys and ended up signing a record deal with the Universal recording company.

While discussing her upcoming role in the stage production, Scuccia openly admitted she hoped she would receive the Pope’s support. She will be playing the part of Mary Robert, who is a shy, young nun with a beautiful singing voice. Scuccia told the ANSA, an Italian news agency that she believed the Pope would support her because the theater is a “way to meet others and leave her message of love.”

Scuccia’s “singing nun” career has received its share of controversy, however. When she released a remake of Madonna’s hit song, “Like A Virgin,” she endured criticism. Scuccia stood by her choice, defending the lyrics of the song saying they signified the “beauty of the transformation of life.” Scuccia felt the lyrics related to her own personal experience of finding God.

Scuccia was raised in Sicily in what she describes as a “simple family.” Her mother was a stay-at-home mom and her father worked as a bricklayer. Both of her parents were devout Catholics, however, Christina claims she was not “enamored by her faith.” She had big dreams of becoming a singer. She enjoyed the music of artists like Celine Dion and Mariah Carey, and she also sang in her church choir. At age 19, after being urged by her mother, she auditioned for a musical that was being performed to “mark the centenary of the Ursuline order.” Seeing it as an opportunity for her music, she ended up doing the audition, even though at the time, she did not want anything to do with the church.

She was cast as Sister Rosa, who was the actual founder of the branch of Ursulines to which Scuccia now belongs. She claims that playing the role of Sister Rosa changed her life because it drove her towards her vocation. At age 20, Scuccia joined the order in Rome. They sent her to work in Brazil for two years and found it fascinating. She feels Brazil is a “very musical country.” It was there where she realized that religion and music could co-exist.

In 2012, Scuccia moved to Milan, which is the convent that she still resides in today. She serves the nursey school lunches and helps run a hostel for students of the university. Between recording and interviews, she still takes an active part in her convent life. 6:30 a.m. prayers, mass, work, and before bedtime prayers. She has an enjoyable life even though she admitted to having boyfriends before entering the convent, and that she has also had maternal feelings. She feels there are other ways to express those maternal feelings in her life, and she does so by working with children.

Scuccia got her break after she was spotted by a scout from The Voice. She was invited for an audition and everything took off from there. She give all of the glory of her success to God. Proceeds from her musical career got to charities in both Brazil and Italy. Her fellow Ursulines support her and feel that it’s a miracle that she is there with them. Her greatest ambition is to sing for the Pope and give him a copy of her album.

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