Review: 1st Stage Takes on a Rarely Done Musical With FLOYD COLLINS

Rarely done musicals such as Adam Guettel and Tina Landau's 1996 Off-Broadway gem FLOYD COLLINS are the kinds of local theatre offerings that make this musical theatre nerd quite giddy. In our area, Signature Theatre was the last to take it on in January 2000, so 1st Stage's production is - for me, at least - a very, very welcome addition to the 2015-2016 theatre season. While Guettel's intricate and original score is, quite simply, extraordinary - and reason enough to make the trek to the McLean/Tysons Corner area to hear it sung live - Director Nick Olcott and his talented and committed cast and design team offer other reasons to pay this little gem of a production a visit.

This little oddity of a musical is based on the true story of a man seeking to turn a cave in Kentucky into a tourist attraction in 1925. Like others in this rural region with a plethora of caves, Floyd Collins (Evan Casey) is an experienced caver, and he sees enormous potential for profit with this particular cave on Bee Doyle's (Carl Williams) farm. As he explores a narrow passageway, using the echoes of his voice to get a lay of the land, he falls several hundred feet and becomes trapped. His foot is wedged underneath a massive rock. Floyd doesn't immediately fret - he's been down this road before - and decides to wait it out for a few other local cavers to realize he's missing and come and rescue him. A first attempt to rescue Mr. Collins fails, and the locals quickly realize this rescue effort will be more challenging than many others they've faced by virtue of Collins' position and the structure and state of the cave itself.

Numerous rescue attempts occur in the coming days, and when the press gets wind of the predicament, the country experiences its first media circus. Floyd becomes something of a national celebrity, which is really something for a man in a small Kentucky tour, but that's not a substitute for having contact with the outside world. He has minimal contact with the rescuers, and is cut off from his family, including his very close and somewhat free-spirited younger sister Nellie (Maggie Donnelly), his younger brother Homer (John Sygar), his father Lee (Scott Sedar), and his stepmother Miss Jane (Jennifer Lyons Pagnard). As time passes, the national media circus only gets crazier. Reporters like Skeets Miller (Edward C. Nagel) see the tragedy as a means to advance careers, and don't always take the most care to report the facts and remain sensitive of the challenges Floyd and his family face in the moment. Gawkers come to check out the tragedy, and peddlers, seeking to make a quick buck, set up shop outside of the cave to sell everything and anything. Tensions rise within the Collins family, between members of the local community, and between the family/local community and the outsiders. Meanwhile, Floyd must try to maintain hope and sanity, and ultimately survive. His plight gets lost in what's happening outside of the dark and wet cave.

Tina Landau's book (she also contributes additional lyrics) doesn't consistently compel the audience to become immersed in the situation we see unfold in front of us. Especially in the latter half of Act One, the story is slow to proceed, and doesn't necessarily grab the audience (or at least me) on an emotional level. Some of the strongest moments occur in Act Two as the media circus gets into full swing and the uglier elements of human behavior - such as greed and carelessness - are prominently displayed. Several of the scenes in Act Two strike an emotional chord that's largely absent in Act One. The 1st Stage cast is comprised of many strong actors and they all bring out the best elements of Landau's script, and do what they can to put over the material that isn't quite as meaty or interesting.

The strength of this musical, however, is Guettel's haunting score. Wonderfully complex, sonically diverse, with numerous unexpected melodic twists and turns, the score is an embarrassment of riches that extend far beyond the Act Two closer "How Glory Goes" and one of my personal favorites, "Through the Mountain." Both of these songs have been recorded on solo albums featuring Broadway talent (Audra McDonald and Lauren Kennedy), and at 1st Stage, both of them are expected high points. Casey and Donnelly, respectively, sing and interpret each song exquisitely. Casey's rendition of "How Glory Goes" is particularly touching. However, other strong musical moments come in the form of "Is That Remarkable?," which thoroughly (and comically) advances the subplot about the media circus, as well as Floyd's three opening numbers ("The Call," "It Moves," and "Time to Go"). The latter three songs are sonically very well grounded in the rural American Southeast, and are chock full of interesting melodies and rhythms.

Overall, while I would have liked some of the harmonies on the ensemble numbers to be a bit tighter at the performance I attended, and pitch was a problem on occasion for a few of the cast members, the cast does a solid job with some very tough music.

After years of seeing Evan Casey perform in a many a show at Signature Theatre and other local venues, it was wonderful to see him have the opportunity to carry a show both musically and dramatically. His performance is reason enough to see this show. His vocal technique is impeccable, he puts forth a rich sound, and his acting choices are also spot-on in both the singing and non-singing moments.

Besides Mr. Casey and several other exceptionally talented singers like Ms. Donnelly, this production also boasts some very capable instrumentalists, which enhance the enjoyment of Guettel's work. William Yanesh, on keyboard, has no easy task as musical director, but he - as well as Jeff Thurston on violin, Cathy Armoury on viola/violin, Aron Rider on cello, and Zach Konick on percussion (as well as a cast member playing guitar onstage on occasion) - complement the singers beautifully, and handle the challenging music with technical precision.

Jos B Musumeci Jr's functional yet creative set design, as well as Kenny Neal's sound design and Brian Allard's lighting design also enhance the production without detracting from the performances or the music. Neal's sound design incorporates numerous echo moments, which is integral to the story, without coming off as too much. If there was one design element that might be a bit too busy it would be Michael J. Bobbitt and Rachel Leigh Dolan's choreography - especially in Act Two - however there's no denying that it adds a layer of visual interest.

Overall, 1st Stage deserves many accolades for taking on this little musical, and doing it justice. It's not commercial fare to be sure and I can see why it's not often produced, but it is nice to have a chance to experience a show that's a little bit out of the ordinary.

Running Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes, including an intermission.

FLOYD COLLINS plays at 1st Stage - 1524 Spring Hill Road in Tysons Corner, VA - through June 26, 2016. General admission tickets can be purchased online for $35 (discounts available for seniors, students, and military personnel).

Photo: Edward C. Nagel and Evan Casey in FLOYD COLLINS at 1ST Stage. Photo by Teresa Castracane.

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