One of Milwaukee's most respected theater companies has aimed high with a knock-out production of Floyd Collins. This extraordinarily challenging musical is based on the true story of Floyd Collins, a 38-year-old cave explorer who became trapped underground while searching for "gold" -- a cavern that could be turned into a popular tourist attraction. Ironically, little did Floyd realize that he would become the attraction, as the entire nation turned its attention to his rescue. Newspaper and radio reports detailed the successive attempts to free Floyd. More than 30,000 people swarmed to the Kentucky farm in hopes of seeing his dramatic reemergence from the cavern. Tragically, rescue efforts failed, and Floyd died 18 days later. This unhappy ending may be one reason why Floyd Collins is rarely performed. Another reason may be the complicated music, which varies from familiar Broadway melodies to folk, bluegrass and a strange kind of fusion that blends these forms. If this is the future of the American musical, don't expect any hummable tunes.
Ultimately, the songs that fare best come closest to mirroring typical Broadway show tunes, including two gloriously-staged production numbers, "The Ballad of Floyd Collins" and "Is That Remarkable?" The show also does not lean heavily on character development, with Floyd (Tony Clement) being the sole exception. The audience learns much about Floyd's hopes and dreams as he sits imprisoned in the cold Kentucky hillside. He receives many visits from his brother (convincingly played by Don Burroughs) and a "mosquito-sized" cub newspaper reporter, dubbed "Skeets" Miller (Jered Tanner). In a way, this is Skeet's story as much as Floyd's, since he's the one who has the most regular contact with Floyd and yet is part of the media circus at ground level. His realization of, "my God, what have I done?" is as heartfelt as Floyd's gradual acceptance that his legendary luck has run out. Floyd's grief-wracked family gets caught up in the hoopla, too. They drink, bicker and, in the case of Floyd's slightly unbalanced sister, consult crickets and otherworldly beings. This is what a dysfunctional Walton family would look like, and it isn't pretty. Carol Linnea Johnson brings a touching humanity to her role as the sister. She plays well off of Tony Clement, who is everything one could wish for in a leading man.
As one would expect from the Skylight Opera Theater, the cast is vocally superb, conveying the musical's richness, under the adroit direction of music director Richard Carsey. Director Paul Barnes keeps the action moving in a way to prevent claustrophobia, which is a very real possibility for the man-trapped-underground theme. Credit also goes to set designer R. Eric Stone for creating an environment that is suggestive of Floyd's plight without being oppressive.
Floyd Collins is a rare treat for the adventurous theatergoer. It may not find the broad audience that other downbeat musicals have gained (such as Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd), but it is worthy for bringing a historical footnote to life in such an engaging way.
