On 21 and 22 June 2024, Wesley Youth Ministry (YM) staged an evangelistic musical production called Birthday Letters. The performance took place in the Wesley Hall and showcased an original narrative inspired by the Parable of the Prodigal Son. The show was brought to life with eight captivating songs and two expressive dances.
The production was a collaborative effort involving a cast of 19 talented performers and a dedicated crew of over 80 individuals. The crew members worked tirelessly behind the scenes, handled audio-visual production, and served on the welcome team. The event was a resounding success, drawing an audience of well over 700 people across its two performances. Many of the attendees were guests visiting Wesley Methodist Church for the first time.
We had the opportunity to sit down with the directors of Birthday Letters, Natania Leow and Grace Leong. They shared fascinating insights about the inception of the musical, gave us a glimpse behind the scenes, and reflected on their personal experiences during the production.
Tell us more about how the idea for a musical came about!
Natania: It started off as a seemingly unattainable dream! Grace and I are part of Kristos, the creative arts sub-ministry in YM. There was a long-standing tradition to put up an evangelistic production every two years which stopped due to the pandemic. Last year, our committee decided that it was time to come back to it!
Grace: According to Natania, it all started because I said the word ‘musical’. I actually have no recollection of that! (laughs)
I loved and started writing songs when I was twelve. I always wondered how I could use it in life… Now I see how God had been preparing me for this! If not for those years of practice, I doubt I would have been able to write these songs at all.
Natania: Yup, it helped that Grace and I grew up as huge musical theatre fans. I also realise how God had been preparing me for this through my past experiences. I had previously been involved in directing a virtual musical in JC and helped in different events where I learnt some skills in lights and sound. These came in handy and gave me confidence to do a musical. Thank God!
What were your inspirations for the story? How was the experience of writing a musical?
Natania: The idea to base the story off the Parable of the Prodigal Son came from conversation with my younger brother. I had already been thinking about it when he mentioned how it would be his first choice if he had to share any biblical story with a pre-believer! This stuck with me because a big motivation for the musical was to share the gospel with pre-believers creatively.
Writing the story was very difficult as I had to confront my own hurts and insecurities. While I was initially tempted to follow the parable ‘to the T’, I felt challenged to dig deeper. I later managed to put aside my fears, and eventually spent hours reflecting on the motivations and insecurities of the characters. I tried to translate my own experiences into writing – experiences of being bullied, feeling resentment towards my family, battling intrusive thoughts, and ultimately, understanding unconditional love.
Grace: Natania wrote most of the script while I helped write some of the songs. I enjoyed writing Fast Lane and More than Perfect the most! The ideas came divinely and serendipitously – while I was drifting in and out of consciousness. (laughs again)
I often find that making art grows empathy. Writing Here at the Table helped me gain empathy for parents because I had to put myself in the shoes of a father feeling the pain of having children who ran away from home.
Overall, through the song-writing, God showed me His greatness. I often had no clue how to proceed because I wasn’t used to writing with the restrictions of a storyline, so I had to rely on Him for ideas. The songs in Birthday Letters are a testament of God’s faithfulness.
What is one word you would use to describe working with the various members of Wesley through Birthday Letters? Why?
Grace: Collaboration. There was a day that I left earlier because I was sick. Turning back as I left, it warmed my heart seeing so many people help to tear down the props and reset the Wesley Hall near the end of a long night of rehearsals. It really felt like the Body of Christ coming together. That image will be ingrained in my mind forever because I saw how different equal parts were working towards the same goal.
Natania: Community! We hoped to build on the intergenerational efforts of the church and chose to cast children, tweens and youth. This made finding our cast and keeping order during rehearsals more challenging but it also made the end result so much sweeter.
Rehearsals were a constant source of joy and fun! I truly miss them. We would start every rehearsal with a time of devotions. The authenticity and vulnerability in those sharings were really heartening.
The YM staff team also gave their full support with their presence in various rehearsals and meetings, and they offered invaluable advice and prayer. Their willingness to empower us youths is something special that I will always be grateful for.
Overall, it delighted me to see how people of different ages, ministries and roles interacted, and formed new friendships! Similar to Grace, I felt barriers come down as we observed what the Body of Christ could look like: many different roles working towards one united purpose.
Grace: Bittersweet. I’m relieved that it’s over, but I wish I could go back and relive the moments all over again. I feel extremely humbled that people were willing to trust in our vision and the story we wanted to share. Working with everyone has made me have more faith in people and in God! I’m so glad to have stuck through to the end.
One key thanksgiving was being able to experience the full measure of 1 Corinthians 12:16-18. Through Birthday Letters, I saw the beautiful image of so many people pulling their weight and how everyone is equally important in their service!
Natania: I’m so proud of the more-than-hundred Wesleyans who gave their time, effort and talents to make Birthday Letters possible. I’m humbled that God would use an inexperienced, easily-frustrated youth like me in such a huge evangelistic effort. My relationship with God has been strengthened as I learnt to trust in Him and not in my own understanding. I’m also grateful for the love and support from everyone, especially my peers and superiors who were encouraging when things were stressful. Birthday Letters is proof to me that Ephesians 3:20 is true when it says that God is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask for”. Praise God!
The event ended with the reading of Scripture and two testimonies, which spoke of God’s unconditional love and of the hope of redemption we have in Christ. We praise God for the opportunity to share the gospel through creative means and the chance to testify of His goodness to us. We are thankful for how Birthday Letters was an endeavour that brought the community in Wesley closer together, and built it up in love and unity. Indeed, we praise God for His faithfulness. To Him be the glory!
Photos courtesy of Wesley Youth Ministry
See more Birthday Letters photos here
Read also: Birthday Letters: A Heartfelt Musical Journey of Compassion and Reconciliation
