The Media Theatre for the Performing Arts in Media, PA, is hosting the world premiere of the musical The Molly Maguires, with music and lyrics by Sid Cherry, book by William Strempek, running through October 6.

The musical tells the historical tale of a rebellious gang of coal miners in Northern Pennsylvania in 1877, who resorted to violence when retaliating against insufferable working conditions. The group was known as the Molly Maguires, led by Jack Kehoe, owner of the Hibernia House Tavern. When an undercover detective hired to break up the Mollies becomes a well-loved part of the family, he is torn between his duty and his conscience.

The Molly Maguires was developed at New York's BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, a program for creating musical theatre headed by Susan H. Shulman and Maury Yeston (Phantom, Nine). It went on to receive a two week workshop at Off-Broadway's Playwrights Horizons, which culminated in four public performances.

Rockwell Productions, a producer of musical theatre in Media, contracted the musical after Strempek received the Ed Kleban Foundation Award for Outstanding Librettist in 1994.

Rockwell Productions' The Molly Maguires runs at the Media Theatre for the Performing Arts through Oct. 6. Meals are offered in the Crystal Room or at Zachary's at the Inn before the show. Performances are Wed Sat 8 PM, and Wed, Thu, Sat &;Sun mats 2 PM. Ticket prices are $26-32, and are available by calling (610) 566-4020.-- By Blair Glaser