USU actors (from left) Ryan Adams and Brett Terrell attempt a desperate rescue of Levi Hopkins (foreground) in the dramatic musical ‘Floyd Collins’ now playing in the Morgan Theatre on the campus of Utah State University (Image courtesy of Facebook).
LOGAN – I’d be willing to bet that you’d agree with me that an obscure century-old cave tragedy is an unlikely and inappropriate subject for a musical.
And we’d both be dead wrong.
The ongoing production of the dramatic musical Floyd Collins by the Theatre Arts Department at Utah State University is an astonishing artistic achievement. It’s gutsy, uncompromising and thoroughly admirable.
The factual roots of Floyd Collins date back to 1925, when the cave explorer became trapped in a narrow passageway 55 feet below ground.
Collins died of thirst and hunger after being isolated for 14 days and three days before a rescue shaft could reach him.
But the play with music and lyrics by Adam Guetell and story by Tina Landau opens on an optimistic note, with USU senior Levi Hopkins in the title role of the doomed Kentucky cave explorer celebrating that he’s found fame and fortune.
It’s a haunting duet, which Hopkins shares with his own echo, before becoming trapped in the so-called Sand Cave.
From that point on, the musical is literally a death-watch. Sitting there — seeing Collins’ family and neighbors disintegrate as an unexpected media circus builds around them – is like watching a train wreck in slow motion. It’s unpleasant, but you can’t take your eyes off it.
Hopkins is familiar to local audiences, having previously performed with the Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre, especially during their late-night summertime cabaret shows.
As the ill-fated cave explorer, Hopkins delivers an amazing performance. He’s on stage for practically the entire show — most of that time flat on his back – and still never misses a beat in his vocals. He breathes life – and an equally convincing death — into a characterization is both courageous and heartbreaking.
The other members of the USU student cast assembled by director Jason Spelbring are similarly gifted.
Standouts in the veteran cast include Ryan Adams as Sheets Miller, a novice reporter who joins the rescue crew; the always watchable Marin Robison as Floyd’s ever-hopeful sister, Nellie; Ariana Whatcott as Floyd’s stepmother, Miss Jane; Brett Terrell as Floyd’s brother, Homer; and Willoughby Staley as the guitar-playing Jewell.
Guettel’s score for the musical is billed as traditional Kentucky bluegrass and folk musical, but much of it seems more like entirely appropriate modern dissonance, given the play’s grim subject matter.
Despite that, the talented USU vocalists somehow make the music of Floyd Collins seem melodic.
The dramatic set design by Ky Trupp has to be seen to be believed, especially when it’s enhanced by innovative projections from designer Joshua Legate.
Opera professor Dallas Aksoy led a six-piece band in performing Guettel’s score for Floyd Collins. Band members included Kelin Gibbons on guitar and banjo, John Maloy on harmonica, Amelia Guertler on violin, Nathan Guertler on cello, Emma Barker on bass, Danny Hankins on drums and Alsoy on piano and keyboard.
After a well-deserved spontaneous standing ovation from its audience, one theatre-goer suggested that anyone suffering from claustrophobia might want to skip this production.
Other than that malady, there would seem to be no other reason to miss this unforgettable production of Floyd Collins, despite the challenging nature of its subject matter.
Evening performances of Floyd Collins will continue in the Morgan Theatre in the Chase Fine Arts Center on the campus of USU on Feb. 28 and 29 as well as Mar. 1 and 2. Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. for all performances.