FLOYD COLLINS

[SueleenGay]

FLOYD COLLINS#0

Posted: 4/23/04 at 2:05pm

Catching up on shows. I checked out the cast album and at first was a bit put off by it. But I found the music creeping into my mind at the oddest times. Now I can't stop listening to it. It gives me chills.

Did anyone see this show? How is the book? The staging? Why didn't it go to Broadway?

Sorry if this is an old topic, but I just discovered it and am curious about your opinions.

PEACE.

[leomaxfrank]

re: FLOYD COLLINS#1

Posted: 4/23/04 at 2:15pm

It's my second favorite musical. I am obsessed with it. The music is indeed haunting and GORGEOUS! I am glad you are haunted :)

I saw it at the Weathervane Repertory Theatre a couple years back, because a friend of mine was in it.
It's just amazing.

It has a problem, like many great, unsuccessful shows - people who hear that its about a "guy stuck in a cave". it doesn't intrigue them - but it is a wonderful piece of theatre. The book, isn't perfect, but Tina Landau, in my opinion did a nice job with it. However, it may be the weakness to the show itself. It could be staged so many ways - I would love to see it again. It didn't succeed in NY because of Rent. It was completely tossed aside. Damn shame too. If you have the CD, read the liner notes about the production and its comparison to the 1996 Broadway season.

But I won't live alone in a house of regret.

Updated On: 4/23/04 at 02:15 PM

[SueleenGay]

re: re: FLOYD COLLINS#2

Posted: 4/23/04 at 2:18pm

Alas, the CD I got from the library was missing the booklet. I was able to find Landau's synopsis online, though. Thanks.

PEACE.

[leomaxfrank]

re: re: FLOYD COLLINS#3

Posted: 4/23/04 at 2:18pm

Adam Guettel, if he continues to write the way he can - could (and I don't use this phrase freely) change the future of broadway, like Sondheim did.

But I won't live alone in a house of regret.

[leomaxfrank]

re: re: re: FLOYD COLLINS#4

Posted: 4/23/04 at 2:20pm

No problem, but I mean the article that was written about the show - Like a review. I currently am looking for the case!!

But I won't live alone in a house of regret.

[SueleenGay]

re: re: re: re: FLOYD COLLINS#5

Posted: 4/23/04 at 2:22pm

I did see LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA and felt the same about the score on only one hearing as I did after my first listen to FLOYD. I am sure it,too, will grow on me when the cast records it.

PEACE.

[leomaxfrank]

re: re: re: re: re: FLOYD COLLINS#6

Posted: 4/23/04 at 2:26pm

Yea, and it's a shame that is the case. It's funny how our ears expect to hear something specific and tonal when we see a show. After listening to Guettel so much, I have come to know what to listen for - it's an amazing feeling.

By the way - I found the CD case..John Guare wrote the Notes in the booklet

But I won't live alone in a house of regret.

[AmandaK]

re: re: re: re: re: re: FLOYD COLLINS#7

Posted: 4/23/04 at 2:45pm

I saw a god-awful production of "Floyd Collins" in Brooklyn a few years ago. I love the music, and agree that it grows on you. I only wish I had been able to see a "professional" performance. Adam Guettel is defenitely one to watch, and I too believe he will have a huge impact on the future of theatre. I also saw "Light in the Piazza" in Chicago. A common problem with both shows was the balance, or lack of, bewteen music and book. I thought that the Chicago "Bounce" production was plagued by the same problem. JMHO.

[leomaxfrank]

re: re: re: re: re: re: re: FLOYD COLLINS#8

Posted: 4/23/04 at 2:50pm

Yeah, I saw Bounce in DC. Felt similar to what you are saying. And i like Weidman a lot too. Bounce had a number of problems, but I still really liked the show/production.

But I won't live alone in a house of regret.

[Karma76]

re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: FLOYD COLLINS#9

Posted: 4/23/04 at 2:53pm

so weird you said haunted cause there is one song (kind of sounds like yodeling) i find myself singing it in my head at the weirdest times during the day!

[SueleenGay]

re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: FLOYD COLLINS#10

Posted: 4/23/04 at 2:58pm

I agree about the books for BOUNCE and PIAZZA. Both need work and are not as good as the scores they support.

PEACE.

[kyle.]

re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: FLOYD COLLINS#11

Posted: 4/23/04 at 3:03pm

i saw the light in the piazza at the goodman multiple times. upon my first viewing i thought it was okay. with student tickets only being $12 i decided to check it out again and liked it more. then again and again and again. it became addicting. the songs were always running through my head. the music is AMAZING. i am so happy its moving to broadway. i only wish it was arriving sooner.

i had the chance to have coffee with adam before the final performance in chicago and he said that they were recording it over the summer. im curious if they will now wait until next year when it opens on broadway. i sure hope not. i dont think i can wait that long. :)

[wildparty20]

FLOYD COLLINS#12

Posted: 4/23/04 at 4:51pm

I absolutely adore Adam Guettel's work. I've never seen "Floyd Collins" but when I got the CD I was obsessed with it for months. Beautiful, haunting, and soaring music. I was able to see "...Piazza" at the Goodman, and also fell in love with it. The books for both, I agree with others, the weakest parts of both shows. The script and score are published for Floyd now. The script is in "The New American Musical" edited by Wiley Hausam, along with The Wild Party (LaChiusa), Parade, and RENT. I love playing the score, it's difficult and challenging, but simply divine.

I was also SO happy to see that Piazza is going to Broadway. When I talked with the assistant conductor, he said that he wasn't sure what was happening after Chicago, but they were trying to get it to New York. I expected off-broadway, but I'm so glad to see it will get a full Broadway production.

The Shaw Festival in Canada will be producing "Floyd Collins" this summer also (along with "Pal Joey" being the other musical). I'm hoping I can make it to that so I can finally see it on the stage.
The Shaw Festival

From the evil she done Lord Set her free, Set her free, Set me free Don't let my sorrow Make evil of me

[Unknown User]

re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: FLOYD COLLINS#13

Posted: 4/23/04 at 4:52pm

I saw a brilliant production at the La Jolla Playhouse in 1999. Romain Fruge (Full Monty) was Floyd and Tina Landau directed. Superb in all ways - acting, directing, design. A very memorable production I saw twice in one week. I'd sure hate to see a bad production. Most of the audience found it very difficult. Can't say I listen to the cast album much though.

[IssaMe]

re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: FLOYD COLLINS#14

Posted: 4/24/04 at 9:35am

The La Jolla production was indeed brilliant as you report. Romain has done the role of Floyd all over the country, winning several major awards for it. He starred in the revival last year at Playwrights Horizons in NYC, and that production was even better than the original Playwrights edition...seeing Romain and Jason Danieley together again (after Monty) - playing the brothers Floyd and Homer - was particularly effective.

Being at every performance, I was happy to see such a terrific response to this revival - but it was done as a special event and there was sadly no chance to extend or transfer.

Adam, modest man that he is, had to be located somewhere in the building to be brought on stage by the cast for acknowledgment at the final performance - after all the bows had already been taken by the cast.

And nobody performs Adam better than Adam himself - his demo CDs for "Piazza" are simply wonderful!

Floyd is also being done in the Berkshires this summer. Awaiting casting decisions.

[papalovesmambo]

re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: floyd collins#15

Posted: 4/24/04 at 11:02am

saw the playwright's production in nyc in '95 or '96, can't remember...at the time i found it difficult to stay awake through and quite confusing. this was back when playwright's was in that little itty bitty theatre on 42 between what was it? 9th and 10th?

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[MusicMan]

re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: floyd collins#16

Posted: 4/24/04 at 9:24pm

One memorable passage does not a score make. Never did, never will. Updated On: 4/24/04 at 09:24 PM

[WOSQ]

floyd collins#17

Posted: 4/26/04 at 9:53am

In addition to the production at The Shaw Festival, there will be one somewhere in the Berkshires too. I cannot remember which theatre--Williamstown? Berkshire Playhouse in Stockbridge?

I will be at the Shaw in late August. One of the many great things about the Shaw is that there is no amplification. We have to listen. The theatres are very small.

12 plays in a week. It is like summer camp for people like us.

"If my life weren't funny, it would just be true. And that would be unacceptable." --Carrie Fisher

[Belter]

re: floyd collins#18

Posted: 4/26/04 at 5:32pm

I listened to the album and hated it. But I also listened to and hated THE LAST FIVE YEARS, PARADE, TIC TIC BOOM, HELLO, AGAIN, FIRST LADY SUITE, and WICKED.

I'm a tough sell.

Meanwhile, I shall listen to them all again, in case it's about hearing them again.

But that raises a point -- how successful can shows be with the regular people -- people who won't be seeing a show again and again -- if they only have that one performance they saw? And why should a show need to be listened to again and again to be liked at all? Appreciated, yes, I can listen to Carousel or Sweeney Todd or Golden Boy again and find new things to appreciate, but I liked them from the first. They had obvious appeal from the get-go.

There are new shows that have appealed immediately to me: TABOO and AMOUR and TMM, even WILD PARTY (LaC) are examples that come immediately to mind. As much as I hate RENT the show, I did immediately appreciate the music. So my quandry is also not about new composers.

How successful is a show if you have to listen to it repeatedly before you even like it?

And more, I have friends who work on Broadway -- sometimes they hate the show they're in .... but come to love it ... but they recognize, it's not a function of the music becoming better or more understood or more appreciated, but FAMILIAR. If you've listened to a show that you initially disliked again and again and have come to like or even love it, perhaps it's just familiarity breeding that love ...