Wall Street analyst turned musical producer Pierre Ferragu joins Jeff Schiefelbein, Nick Bezner, and Paul Kolker at the tiny table to share the remarkable story behind Bernadette The Musical, a Broadway-level production about Saint Bernadette of Lourdes that is coming to the United States.
Pierre explains how a French stage show rooted in a deeply Catholic story managed to win over a secular French press, and why the life of a humble peasant girl continues to move hearts across cultures and worldviews. From the challenge of translating nuance and wordplay into English to navigating cultural differences between French abstraction and American love for stories that are clearly grounded in the flesh, Pierre gives an inside look at producing a show that stays faithful to history while speaking powerfully to modern audiences.
Along the way, the Dudes share the very personal connection Jeff and his family have to Lourdes, unpack Kelsey Grammer’s unexpected role as a producer and champion for the show, and reflect on why live theater can evangelize in ways that streaming content simply cannot. The episode closes with a stunning recording of the song “Why Me,” a cry of humble wonder that resonates with priests, parents, and anyone who has ever asked God why they were chosen for a particular cross or calling.
Takeaways
1. The life of Saint Bernadette is universally compelling
2. Translation is more than swapping words
3. Live experiences form hearts in a unique way
4. God uses unlikely people for big missions
5. Beauty can be a gentle path to evangelization
Episode Challenge
Pray with your own “Why me?”
Take ten minutes this week to bring your current calling or cross to the Lord. Ask honestly, “Why me” and then sit in silence, allowing God to remind you that He chooses the small, the weak, and the ordinary on purpose. Offer Him your poverty and ask for the courage of Saint Bernadette.
https://www.bernadettethemusical.com/
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