February 16 marks the world premiere of A Long Line of McKinney Women, a musical commissioned by NWU and created by visiting artist Kailey Marshall. The premiere of this production is the accumulation of a two-year collaboration.

The show follows a near-death experience which sends a heartbroken Alex McKinney to the hospital. While there, she is visited by a long line of deceased McKinney ancestors. The ancestor’s goal: To resuscitate Alex’s heart—and her living relationships. 

A Long Line of McKinney Women will show Feb. 16-18 and Feb. 23-25 at 7:30 p.m. with matinee showings on Feb. 19 and 26 at 2 p.m. All shows will be held in NWU’s McDonald Theater, 5100 Huntington Ave.

“The musical deals with hard hitting topics, but through the lens of comedy,” stated Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre and A Long Line of McKinney Women Director Talea Bloch. “The music is a mix of 90s pop/rock with a Celtic flair. This work is an example of the future of musical theatre, and NWU is excited to join Kailey in creating this new commission.”

Kailey Marshall, the show’s creator, is an award-winning actress, composer and director based in New York. She held several workshop sessions in 2022 with Nebraska Wesleyan students. Marshall will be in Lincoln for the show’s premiere, Feb. 12-18.

"I was introduced to NWU during the pandemic where I composed a song [for one of their] cabarets," Marshall stated. "NWU later commissioned me to write full-length piece for their theatre department. I felt so lucky to get the opportunity to work with NWU students again and receive creative freedom to craft something completely new."

Tickets are $18 for adults, $14 for seniors and students. Tickets can be purchased at nebrwesleyan.edu/theatre-tickets or call the box office at (402) 465-2384. The NWU box office is open each week Monday – Friday from 3-5 p.m., and one hour prior to performances.

The opportunity to host Marshall is made possible by the Pace Woods Foundation.