Musical will have U.S. premiere at The Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture

After a highly successful run in Europe, the U.S. anticipated premiere of Bernadette, The Musical has been set!The inspiring musical about the courageous story of Saint Bernadette of Lourdes will open on February 19 with performances scheduled through March 15 at The Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture. Preview performances will run February 12 through February 18.

“The Athenaeum Center is dedicated to bringing works of beauty and meaning to Chicago audiences,” said Lawrence Daufenbach, executive director and founder of the Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture. “We’re honored to host Bernadette, The Musical, a moving story that speaks to the power of hope and the human spirit.”

At the center of the sweeping, harrowing musical is young Bernadette, a peasant farmgirl who is visited by a mysterious, beautiful lady who is only visible to herself. The lady continues to visit Bernadette, always leaving her with inexplicable feelings of peace, serenity and love, and setting off a turn of events that cannot be explained. As word of Bernadette’s visions spreads throughout the population and the press, she faces interrogation, humiliation and even threats, as she stands true to what she knew she saw. Today, the site of the visions is visited by millions each year, as Bernadette’s story continues to inspire visitors from all nationalities and backgrounds.

Emmy and Tony award-winning actor and producer Kelsey Grammer is a lead producer of Bernadette, The Musical and said of the teenager, “You hear a lot of talk about the Divine Feminine. She is. She is the embodiment of courage in the face of condemnation.  She is unshakeable, innocent, impeccable, beautiful. I am proud to have been called to help tell her story. There are many who know her, there are many more now who will.” 

“Chicago is the perfect city to launch this extraordinary journey,” said Pierre Ferragu, who co-leads the production with Grammer. “The Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture provides the intimacy and grandeur that this story calls for and we are honored to share Bernadette’s courage and humanity with Chicago first. Dominican University, which isn’t far from the theatre, has a beautiful replica of the Lourdes grotto on campus, and we’re looking forward to visiting and paying respect to Bernadette there.”

The cast is led by French singer and actress Eyma in a star-making turn as Bernadette, after originating the role in Europe and in the broadcast of the musical which played to sold-out movie theatres across the United States. Joining Eyma are Jeremie Roy (François Soubirous), Jessie Macbeth (Louise Soubirous), Thomas James (Father Peyrmale) and Steven Martella (Commissioner Jacomet) and an ensemble cast of more than 20.

Tickets are available at https://athenaeumcenter.org/events/2025/bernadette-the-musical/