Andrew Palermo directs and choreographs the musical, which has a book by Palermo and Shannon Stoeke with music and lyrics by Dan Dyer. Performances begin July 27 at the Duke on 42nd Street (229 West 42nd Street).

The musical concerns the October 2, 2006, West Nickel Mines School shooting, when a lone gunman took ten girls hostage for nearly an hour at a one-room Amish schoolhouse serving the community. Five of the young girls were murdered.

The cast features Dashiell Eaves, Morgan Hollinsworth, Jason Reiff, Timothy J. Alex, Hannah Schwartz, Josephine Rose Roberts, Sophie Hearn, Cailen Fu, Marisha Castle, Liliana Rose, Emma Hearn, Tivoli Evans, Emma Lou DeLancy, Maci Bass and Cassie Austin.

Nickel Mines is described as a “non-traditional musical combining spoken dialogue with interpretive movement and an original score by composer Dan Dyer. Built on the assertion that history offers us more relevant drama than fiction, the book which is co-written by Andrew Palermo and Shannon Stoeke prioritizes allegiance to the facts of the actual case, utilizing transcripts of the crime and its aftermath and allowing the story to emerge through dramatic interpretation. At its core, Nickel Mines is an exploration of the power of forgiveness, and the ways in which choosing forgiveness over retribution mitigate the sensationalism and cyclical escalation born of revenge. It is also an examination of the stories of lives spoken in their own words, a rethinking of the notion of victim-hood and a survey of the public’s preconceptions of the Amish religion and culture.”

The production will also have lighting design by Howell Binkley, costumes by Sera Borgeau and sound design by Nevin Steinberg. Musical arrangements and direction are by David Gardos with musical orchestrations by Ryan Shirar. Samantha Jo Palermo serves as associate choreographer. Groundswell Theatricals serve as general management.

NYMF passes are now available at nymf.org.