By Sydney Sangster
In Salt Lake City‘s Babcock Theatre, Floyd Collins has officially hit the stage and the University of Utah Department of Theatre is taking this production to the next level. Floyd Collins (book by Tina Landau, music and lyrics by Adam Guettel) is a fascinating look into the lives of one family and one community, but also events and cultural attitudes that help create who we are today. Floyd Collins, first produced by the American Music Theatre festival in 1994 and is presented through special arrangement with R&H Theatricals, will captivate and enlighten audiences.
This profound, yet fiercely entertaining production, directed and choreographed by Denny Berry, follows a cave explorer, Floyd Collins (Derek DuBay) on his adventure to find fortune in the form of an underground tourist attraction. As the cave enthusiasts explore caverns and cavities, the audience explores a unique period of time in both Kentucky and in the United States as a whole. This true story takes place during “The Cave Wars” in Kentucky in 1925. At around the same time, yellow journalism was rampant in the United States. One can draw similarities between the exaggerated claims and misleading information of 1925 and the “fake news” and globally connected media of today.
The first thing you’ll notice upon entering the theatre is the inventive use of space (set design by Kiersten Farley). Ladders and beams, acting as caverns and tunnels in the cave, fill the open area above the stage. Under the direction of music director and conductor, Alex Marshall, and assistant music director, Cheney Doane, the play begins with a powerful musical number, “ACT I the Ballad of Floyd Collins” sung by the entire cast. I immediately felt the strength of the actors as they laid out the story we were about to witness. The costumes (costume design by Chloe Mason) really drive home the 1920s Kentucky vibe of this explorative tale. Each character adheres to the style of the time period, while still wearing unique elements, making the costumes completely believable. Similarly, the props (prop design by Aby Fetters) used in this production are realistic and nostalgic. Throughout the play, the lighting (lighting design by Nick Bellendir) seamlessly changes from lantern light to noonday as the story takes us above and below ground level.
We are invited into Floyd’s story immediately before the event that captured the nation’s attention. As he’s searching for an underground attraction, he uses his echo to locate open spaces. As he calls out into the caverns, he hears his voice reverberate back to him as he creates music that reflects his joy in the adventure. There are many creative uses of sound to invoke feelings in this production, masterfully designed by sound designer Emily Chung.
This difficult subject matter is beautifully conveyed, thanks to producer Harris Smith, stage manager Deedee Palmer, dramaturg Hannah Keating, and all of the actors. Especially with a story that can be difficult to digest, the performers portray hope, sadness, desperation, and happiness perfectly – especially in the case of those who play Floyd’s family members Homer (Chase Quinn), Miss Jane (Hayley Cassity), Lee (Steve Mathews), and Nellie (Fiona Hannan). Each with different levels of relationship to Floyd, they bear their emotions in unique, emotional ways. All of the actors have great voices in this musical, but I especially enjoyed the musical number “ACT I The Rescue, ‘Tween a Rock an’ a Hard Place” sung by Floyd’s friends and fellow spelunkers, Bee Doyle (Jacob Weitlauf), Ed Bishop (Matthew Rudolph) and Jewell Estes (Matthew Tripp). They each have such powerful voices, and they mesh together flawlessly.
As the Floyd Collins story progresses, new people join the scene. First is reporter Skeets Miller (Cameron Holzman). Initially, he’s just trying to find a story, but quickly reveals his true colors and works tirelessly to help Floyd. Rescuer Carmichael (Mason Duncan) also joins the effort. Each of these actors is completely convincing in their roles and are a joy to watch. As the story gains popularity, more and more people flood the town as poor Floyd remains underground. Cliff Roney (Tevan McPeak), Dr. Hazlett (Alexander McConkie), and Swing (Jace Von App) arrive alongside hundreds of onlookers. Camp chairs are being sold, hot food is being served, and movies are being made. In all of the confusion, three reporters (Dylan Burningham, Caden Tudor, and Fynn White) exaggerate the situation even further in their hilarious song, “ACT II the Carnival, Is That Remarkable?”
Of course, a musical is no musical at all without music, so I would be remiss not to call on each of the musicians. Emily Bender on guitar, Justin Lord on percussion, Cy Schmidt on harmonica, Peter Lambson on violin, Alec Barker on violin/viola, Bryn Boogert on Cello, and Aidan Woodward on bass all contribute magnificently to the nearly played-through musical full of warm folk music and twangy southern rhythms.
Babcock Theatre’s Floyd Collins is a unique, true story full of competing feelings of adventure and happiness as well as nostalgia and heartache. With a cast chock-full of talent, you’ll be free to wholeheartedly believe and dive headfirst into this production. You may even be adding a few songs to your playlist after this musically impressive play. University of Utah Department of Theatre has brought a fantastic, interesting musical that should not be missed.
Note: There is light profanity in this piece, but not enough to earn it a PG-13, in this reviewer’s opinion.
The U Department of Theatre presents Floyd Collins, book by Tina Landau, music and lyrics by Adam Guettel.
Babcock Theatre, University of Utah Campus, 300 1400 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84112. (Located on the lower level of the Pioneer Memorial Theatre. Free parking at the Rice Eccles Stadium.)
February 14-March 1, 2020 Thurs-Sat 7:30 PM, 2:30 PM Sunday matinees. See website for other showings.
Tickets: $0-$18
Contact: 801-581-7100
University of Utah Department of Theatre Facebook Page
Floyd Collins Facebook Event
Photography by: @asib_framedtales
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