Floyd Collins
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Cititour.com Review
The composer-lyricist Adam Guettel clearly has a connection to characters who feel trapped – whether it be Clara, the twentysomething young woman “trapped” by her mental deficits in “The Light in the Piazza”; Kirsten, the introverted woman eventually “trapped” by her addiction to alcohol in “Days of Wine and Roses”; and, most literally, Floyd Collins, the real-life 37-year-old Kentucky cave explorer and budding entrepreneur who spends 17 days stuck underground with his foot caught beneath an immovable rock, and the title character of his breakthrough 1990s musical.
Maybe it’s because Guettel himself feels trapped, as the grandson of the great composer Richard Rodgers (and son of Broadway composer Mary Rodgers)? Or maybe, like his mentor Stephen Sondheim, he’s just attracted to unusual material. Regardless, one should not feel trapped while viewing “Floyd Collins,” now getting a beautifully cast, visually striking, and long overdue Broadway debut at Lincoln Center Theater at the Vivian Beaumont.
As it was originally in 1996, the show remains under the direction of the show’s author Tina Landau, who makes surprisingly good use of the overly vast Beaumont stage (even if she can’t really replicate Floyd’s feeling of claustrophobia). She also creates some stunning tableaux, with the help of scenic designers Dots, lighting designer Scott Zielinski, and projection designer Ruey Horng Sun, using the show’s dozen main characters in various artistic formations.
Those characters, however, are perhaps a bit more thinly drawn than one might wish, which may lead to audiences not feeling as invested in them as one might expected. Nonetheless, the sublime Jeremy Jordan is in top form as the overly optimistic Floyd, ably supported by the ultra-handsome Jason Gotay as his devoted brother Homer, and the sweet-voiced pop star Lizzy McAlpine as their simple-minded sister Nellie.
While film director Billy Wilder was inspired by the “media circus” following Floyd’s entrapment for his film “Ace in the Hole,” here, it’s briefly if potently represented by one stunning aural and visual sequence called “Is This Remarkable.” Instead, Landau and Guettel are more interested in Floyd’s existential dilemma as he realizes he might die, as well as the ever-fracturing relationships above ground that develop during Floyd’s final days.
Unsurprisingly, Nellie’s hope never dies, nor does the devotion of local reporter Skeets Miller (a superb Taylor Trensch), who feels responsible for turning Floyd into a tabloid sensation. For his part, Homer also remains committed to the cause, even while becoming increasingly distracted by the lure of Hollywood and Vaudeville.
Conversely, the siblings’ father Leo (an excellent Marc Kudisch) lets both his mental and physical health deteriorate, much to the concern and disgust of his current wife, Miss Jane (a lovely Jessica Molaskey). And local engineer H.T Carmichael (a powerful Sean Alan Krill) becomes consumed by his frustration to release Floyd, and his domineering ways eventually turn off the willingness of Floyd’s friends and neighbors (well played by Wade McCollum. Cole Vaughn, and Clyde Voce) to aid with the rescue effort.
Much of the story is told through Guettel’s score, which combines Americana and bluegrass with more conventional melodies. This mix of forms feels more pleasantly familiar today than it did 30 years ago – not to mention that one hears echoes of Guettel’s later works in the score (gorgeously conducted by the great Ted Sperling). Regardless, Homer and Floyd’s joyous duet, “The Riddle Song,” is a highlight of the show, while Jordan’s rendition of Floyd’s final song, the aria-like “How Glory Goes,” is positively thrilling.
Still, “Floyd Collins” is no feel-good entertainment, a rarity in a spring season that has already given us “Boop!”, “Smash,” and “Operation Mincemeat.” But theatergoers seeking more challenging fare are encouraged to dig into “Floyd Collins.”
By Brian Scott Lipton
Visit the Site
https://www.lct.org/
Open/Close Dates
Opening 4/21/2025
Closing Open-ended
Theatre Info
Vivian Beaumont Theater
150 West 65th Street
New York, NY 10023
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