More than 130 volunteers from a western Sydney parish are preparing to stage their biggest-ever musical production, bringing the Gospel to life in a four-night run at Parramatta’s Riverside Theatres this September.
Mary Queen of the Family Parish in Blacktown will present Be The Witness from 10-13 September, a large-scale adaptation of The Witness, the 1978 musical by Grammy Award-nominated Christian songwriting duo Carol and Jimmy Owens.
Told through the eyes of the Apostle Peter, the production traces the life, teaching and evangelising mission of Jesus Christ in what organisers describe as an “immersive experience of hope, love and faith.”
Parish priest Fr Wim Hoekstra EV serves as the production’s spiritual guide.
“We spend a little bit of time in prayer, reflecting on the role of Jesus, and sometimes even reflecting on each of the characters presented in the musical,” she told The Catholic Weekly.
Fr Hoekstra said he hoped the production would lead audiences into a deeper encounter with Christ.
“They’ll be asking questions and they’ll recognise the role, the importance of Jesus in their lives, which ultimately is quite significant,” he said.
“Hoping that, through this, they’ll commit themselves more to the church, to ministry and to following Jesus.”
Bass singer and Mary Queen of the Family parishioner Kiran Saldanha said he has been connected to the musical since childhood and jumped at the opportunity to take part in the latest production.
“I did not hesitate. I came forward, auditioned and became part of the bass lineup,” he said.
“What I thought might simply be a chance to sing has become something far greater – it has become a life-changing moment in my faith journey.”
Saldanha said Thursday night rehearsals have been marked by a palpable sense of purpose.
“There is something deeply moving about being in a room full of people who have all said yes. People who have auditioned, committed, and chosen to give their time to something that is not about personal recognition, but about mission,” he said.
“Sometimes people may look at theatre and the arts and wonder whether this is really evangelisation. I would simply say: come and see.”
The production is the largest theatrical undertaking in the parish’s history. It also comes at a time when several major commercial musicals, including Waitress and Beetlejuice, have cut short or bypassed Sydney seasons, highlighting the challenges of attracting theatre audiences.
Production designer Minette Mindens acknowledged the challenge but said the production team was confident the Christian community would rally behind the project. Two performances have already been booked by NSW Catholic Schools and the Diocese of Parramatta.
“We’ve only got 3,000 tickets to sell over a limited run, so we need all the help we can get,” she said.
“Of course it’s going to be entertaining, but it’s powerful beyond entertaining,” she added.
“Faith is a really big part of the project,” she said.
Parramatta Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv has thrown his support behind the production, praising both its evangelising vision and community impact.
“This project reflects the creative missionary impulse that our diocese seeks to encourage – where faith finds expression in ways that uplift the wider community and invite others to encounter hope,” he said.
Blacktown MP Stephen Bali has also endorsed the production.
