Musical brings struggles of Holy Family to life

From a lighted stage in St. Jude the Apostle Church in Hardyston, the Blessed Virgin Mary drops the bombshell revelation for all eternity.

Played by Nicole Wasniowska, the Blessed Mother tells her husband, Joseph, startling news: she is pregnant with a baby that isn’t his and is the Son of God. Confused, Joseph, played by Jacob Conklin, tells her: “I don’t know if I can do this.” The audience in the pews hangs in the Holy Couple’s every emotion while watching the new, original “Mary: the Musical,” presented four times in December at St. Jude’s.

Still confused, Mary and Joseph sing separately about their similar hope in “Believe,” an impassioned duet.

“Still feels like you don’t…believe me…Trusting in God on high, knowing he’ll open your heart to help you make sense of this day…I’ll make you see the truth and how much I really care….You just have to believe,” Mary and Joseph sing in “Mary: the Musical.”

The hour-long production was written and directed by Vadim Ghin, St. Jude’s music director, and Celena Reid, the parish’s director of religious education, who conceived it together. The performance involved more than 24 members of the parish, with a few from the surrounding community — from children to seniors. It used most of the worship space in the church.

“Mary: the Musical” presents Mary and Joseph’s struggles in the familiar Nativity story — an unplanned pregnancy, a perilous journey to Bethlehem, and difficulty finding lodging — from a new perspective. At the end, it also expresses the joy believers feel about the birth of Jesus while emphasizing that it was made possible, at least in part, by the Holy Couples’ trust in God.

“The musical centers around Mary, who is the Mother of Jesus and is preparing for the birth of Christ. It encompasses not just Mary in her integral role as mother to Jesus, but also the important roles of Joseph, the Wise Men, and the Angel Gabriel,” said Father Michael Rodak, St. Jude’s pastor.

Based on Scripture, the dialog in “Mary: the Musical” captures the joy and drama of the Nativity story. The songs have a hymn-like tone, like “Rose/Magnificat,” when Elizabeth and Mary meet, each praising the Lord for their miraculous pregnancies. While basking in the glow of Jesus’ birth at the end, Joseph sings a version of “Silent Night” with new lyrics written for the production by Ghin and Reid.

“Whatever he becomes tomorrow, today he is my child to love and protect. I trust in God,” said Joseph, portrayed by Conklin, who plays guitar in St. Jude’s choir.

After the shows, the cast greeted the audience in the lobby of St. Jude Church. Wasniowska, 13, of Immaculate Conception Parish in Franklin, said about playing Mary, “I put myself in her place in that time. It was complicated — with the unplanned pregnancy.”

Like Wasniowska, many of the cast have a wealth of performing experience. Ghin graduated Julliard School of Music in New York City and has performed worldwide. Reid, a St. Jude’s cantor, also has stage experience. Ghin said he devised the idea for the musical inspired by “such an amazing story and amazing characters.”

One audience member told the cast one night, “There were such beautiful melodies. It put me in the Christmas spirit.”

Father Rodak thanked everyone involved in the success of “Mary: the Musical.”

“Because of the musical, everyone has grown in a greater appreciation for what took place and the importance of the Holy Family. We want people to have a new-found relationship with and love for Christ,” Father Rodak said.