XENIA — A new and original patriotic musical is coming to Xenia.

“On Hallowed Ground” with a cast of 100 will be presented 7 p.m. Sunday-Tuesday, July 1-3 at the First Church of Christ.

Experience the story of a typical family on vacation in Washington, D.C. While touring the monuments the “slightly whiny” teenage girls complain about vacationing in what they called a “concrete jungle” while their friends are at the beach or Disney World.

The father then decides to take the family to Arlington National Cemetery to show them what honor, commitment, and sacrifice are all about. The girls witness a funeral scene with a bagpipe player and also see replicated tombstones with names of people actually buried in Arlington.

At the end, one of the girls realizes her mistake and acknowledges that she learned a great deal about what July 4 really means.

The show is written and directed by popular Xenia High School science teacher Bill Richey and features a salute to the U.S armed forces, the liberty ensemble, indoor pyrotechnics, a parade of flags, a patriotic sing-a-long, and an exciting finale with lots of surprises.

“The central key is somewhere we work in the armed forces salute,” Richey said. “It’s a show that I think appeals young to old.” Richey said shows like this have been performed since the mid-1980s when the Statue of Liberty underwent refurbishing.

The Xenia High School Jazz Band will perform a pre-show concert 6:30 p.m. featuring summertime hits. Dessert follows the show.

The church is at 441 Ledbetter Road, Xenia. Admission is free. Seating is limited.