Peter Jorgensen directs the musical, which features a score by Tony winner Adam Guettel and a book by Tina Landau.

The cast includes Daren Herbert as Floyd Collins, Michael Torontow as Homer Collins, Krystin Pellerin as Nellie Collins, Kevin McNulty as Lee Collins, Katey Wright as Miss Jane Collins, Andrew Wade as Skeets Miller, Nathan Carroll as Jewell Estes, Kristian Truelsen as Carmichael, Ashley Wright as Ed Bishop, David Adams as Bee Doyle, Graham Coffeng as Cliff Roney, Jay Davis as Dr. Hazlett and Michael Culp as Reporter.

The musical’s narrative, according to press notes, is based on "real-life events that played out in Kentucky in February 1925. Floyd Collins is a 37 year-old cave explorer who becomes trapped while navigating an underground network he hopes to develop into a tourist attraction. Pinned beneath the ground, his family and fellow cavers begin a rescue attempt. When it becomes clear that his extraction will not be easy, these efforts escalate and intensify, while a mob of reporters gathers above ground, initiating one of America’s first nation-wide media frenzies."

“For me, this is a play about two kinds of glory: an old variety that is about divinity and legacy, and a contemporary one synonymous with celebrity and fame,” said director Jorgensen in an earlier statement. “It was his pursuit of the old type of glory that drove Floyd Collins to crawl deep beneath the earth, hoping for a discovery that would make his legacy immortal. In a cruel twist of fate however, he became an early example of the later kind, igniting a short-lived media circus as he lay trapped 100 feet underground.”

The production also has musical direction by Jonathan Monro, assistant direction by Chris Allan, sets and prop design by Amir Ofek, costumes by Barbara Clayden, lighting by Jeff Harrison and sound by Bradley Danyluk. York Theatre is located at 639 Commercial Drive. For tickets visit tickets.thecultch.com or call (604) 251-1363.