It’s been 100 years since Floyd Collins lost his life as a result of a tragic accident in what is now known as part of Mammoth Cave.

Collins, whose pursuit of turning a Kentucky cave into a tourist attraction, became a tourist attraction himself when he got trapped underground in Sand Cave.

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the event that caught the attention of the world, Ramsey Theatre Company is presenting a one-night only production of “Floyd Collins The Musical” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at SkyPAC.

Diane DiCroce is the producing artistic director of Ramsey Theatre Company and BG OnStage.

“He managed to stay alive in the cave for 14 days after his foot got stuck,” she said of Collins. “The events that surrounded his entrapment and passing are thought of as the first real media circus. Radio was just coming to the forefront, so it was being broadcast live between the time he got trapped and the time they were able to get to him, which was called Carnival Sunday. It was called this because they started selling balloons and hot dogs. Human impulse is to gawk and stare even though this poor man’s fate was hanging in the balance.”

She said the musical is not just about Collins and his entrapment. It is also about events going on above ground, as well.

“It was a time of the Kentucky cave wars,” she said. “People were making a living off the land before the National Park Service took over to form Mammoth Cave. The musical gives attention to that, as well.”

The musical stars Jesse McFarland as Collins. McFarland last appeared at the Ramsey Theatre Company’s inaugural production of “Beauty and the Beast” as The Beast. He was also on the national tour of “My Fair Lady,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “Damn Yankees.”

It also stars Noah Sowalskie as Homer Collins, who is making his Ramsey theatre debut and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in musical theatre from Belmont University. Jonathan Vanderpool, who earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts  degree in music education from Western Kentucky University, will play Lee Collins. Ella Jones, a Glasgow native, portrays Nellie Collins, and Hannah Vanderpool, who earned bachelor’s degrees in music and German from WKU, portrays Miss Jane. Elijah Milburn, a WKU graduate with a BFA in performing arts with a concentration in musical theatre, plays Bee Doyle, and Benjamin Carter, who earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in music from WKU, portrays Skeets Miller.

DiCroce said this is not the typical musical that people think of, like “Grease” or “The Wizard of Oz.”

“It is part of our local history but is a rarely done musical because the music is very complex,” DiCroce said. “There is some bluegrass and musical theater, as well as jazz. There’s a little bit of everything.”

She said the instrumentation, performed by Orchestra Kentucky, “provides a soundscape for the show that is reminiscent of cave echos.”

“It’s really, really cool,” she said.

The musical’s creative team includes two WKU faculty members. Alan White, an acting professor in the theatre department, is the director, and Julie Pride, who is on staff in the Department of Theatre and Dance at WKU where she accompanies the dance studios and the music theatre program, serves as the associate music director.

“It has been wonderful to have both of them on board,” DiCroce said.

Dick Tunney, a Grammy-award winning producer and arranger, is the music director.

“It’s been a real help to have him on board because the music is so complex and interesting,” she said. “The orchestrations are really rich and the songs help move the story along.”

The scenic designer, Sebastian Tingle, is a WKU graduate  and is making his debut as a designer for Ramsey Theater.

There are also several events taking place before and after the musical, including a pre-show experience from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m., with guest speakers, cocktails and a historical exhibit in the Goodwin Gallery.

Barclay Trimble, Mammoth Cave National Park superintendent, will speak at 6:40 p.m., and Chris Carmichael, grandson of H.T. Carmichael, who led the 1925 rescue efforts, will speak at 6:50 p.m.

Collins-themed artwork by local students will be on display in the Wedge Education Gallery.

Post-show events will include a meet and greet with cast members in the lobby and an onstage 30-minute discussion with Roger Brucker, author of “Trapped! The Story of Floyd Collins.”

“With Ramsey Theatre, you are getting more than a show,” DiCroce said. “You are getting an experience. We want to give patrons a chance to learn about the show and meet the performers. It truly is a hometown theater experience.”

An upcoming revival of “Floyd Collins” will also be shown at the Lincoln Center on Broadway later this month.

For more information and tickets, visit theskypac.com.