Bernadette, the Musical Makes U.S. Stage Debut

Amy Cattapan attended the Chicago opening night of Bernadette, the Musical, which tells the story of Saint Bernadette of Lourdes. 

As a child, I didn’t know much about Saint Bernadette of Lourdes, simply that she was “one of those children in Europe who saw Mary many years ago.” To be honest, I think I often got her mixed up with the children of Fatima.

Thankfully, as I became older, I began to learn more about this fourteen-year-old girl who saw the Blessed Mother in a grotto on the outskirts of her hometown in southern France. Mary asked Bernadette to dig in the mud until a spring bubbled up. At first, people dismissed her because no one else saw a woman there. However, Mary continued to appear to her, and word of the apparitions spread. Bernadette was subjected to a series of questionings, first by her parents and neighbors, but then also by her parish priest and the local police commissioner. Over time, people began to believe her and brought their loved ones to the spring for miraculous healings.

Lourdes and the Order of Malta

My understanding of Bernadette’s story grew even deeper after I joined the Order of Malta in 2015. The Order of Malta is an organization of lay Catholic men and women that has existed for over 900 years. From the beginning, we’ve been an organization focused on caring for the sick and the poor. In addition to serving them in our local communities, Knights and Dames of Malta from around the world take sick people (called malades) to Lourdes, France, every year so that they can bathe in the healing water of Lourdes.

When I went on pilgrimage with the Order of Malta in 2017, I had the chance to hear Bernadette’s story in detail as well as visiting the mill her father once owned and the small former jail cell that her poor family used as a home. Standing in that tiny room and praying at the grotto helped me to understand the humility and conviction of this young French girl.

The U.S. Debut

When I was offered the chance to see the opening night performance of Bernadette, the Musical in my hometown of Chicago, I couldn’t pass it up. I had been hearing about the show for a while. It began in France to great acclaim and was also performed in Italy.

TV and film actor Kelsey Grammer saw the French production and was so moved he decided to become a co-producer so that he could help bring it to the United States, complete with an English translation and some new songs. In his words, “Bernadette is the embodiment of courage in the face of condemnation. She is unshakeable, innocent, impeccable, beautiful.”

While the cast includes American and Canadian actors, the role of Bernadette continues to be played by the talented Eyma Scharen, whose powerful and exquisite vocals have delighted audiences since she began the role in France while still in her mid-teens. When I met with producer Pierre Ferragu prior to opening night, he shared that Eyma is a “superstar” in France and cannot walk around Lourdes without being recognized. She is so dedicated to the role of Bernadette that she learned English precisely for the purpose of continuing to portray her in the U.S. production.

The impressive sets help ground the scenes as they switch quickly from one moment to the next. If you’ve ever been to Lourdes, you will definitely recognize the grotto. This particular set piece was created after they used a laser to scan the actual grotto at Lourdes. From those scans, they were able to recreate in great detail for the stage.

The script is written with a series of flashbacks, which might make it hard for younger audiences or those unfamiliar with Bernadette’s story to follow exactly what is happening. The show beginnings with Bernadette watching sheep (depicted on stage by a clever piece of theater “magic”) and then moves to her being questioned by Commissioner Jacomet. Then it flashes back to her initial sighting of Mary at the grotto. If you plan to bring children younger than high school, I’d recommend making sure they know the basics of Saint Bernadette’s story before attending.

Where to See Bernadette the Musical

The show is currently running at the historic Athenaeum Theater in Chicago until March 15. If you live in the Midwest and are a fan of Saint Bernadette, you’ll want to catch this show while you can. There are plans to bring the show to other cities across the U.S., so be sure to check their website to see when it might be coming to your area.

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Copyright 2026 Amy J. Cattapan
Images: (top, bottom) BernadetteTheMusical.com, all rights reserved; (center) copyright 2026 Amy J. Cattapan, all rights reserved