FLOYD COLLINS Previews- Page 6

[UWS10023]

Posted: 4/19/25 at 12:09pm

If I had been sitting house left say down in the lower 100s or 200s or even in the 300’s  I would’ve gotten more out of Jeremy‘s performance. But when an actor is so far away, one has to rely on the stage picture to help tell the story and that is why I wish they would’ve moved him around. The other unfortunate thing in the Beaumont is that if you sit off to the sides, you don’t get the benefit of seeing the whole picture because you can’t really see upstage scrims or projections. 

[RUkiddingme]

Posted: 4/19/25 at 12:12pm

Some musicals should run off Broadway for 8 to 12 weeks.  This is one of those musicals.

[BETTY22]

Posted: 4/19/25 at 5:09pm

FLOYD COLLINS – A HAUNTINGLY BEAUTIFUL REVIVAL THAT DESERVES A CLOSER LISTEN THIS MOURNFUL, MASTERFULLY STAGED MUSICAL IS AN UNDERSTATED GEM IN A SEASON OF LOUDER OFFERINGS

In a Broadway season full of flashy revivals and star-studded spectacles, Floyd Collins offers something far more rare: silence, sorrow, and a striking sense of space. For those willing to listen closely, this hauntingly staged production is nothing short of extraordinary.

Set in the desolate Kentucky caves of 1925, Floyd Collins tells the true story of a man trapped underground and the media frenzy that follows. But it’s not just a story of survival—it’s about isolation, ambition, and the vast emotional caverns we all carry.

This revival leans into the show’s quieter, more contemplative aspects, allowing the emotional weight to echo in the negative space. The director uses that space brilliantly. The stage feels both endless and confining—mirroring the physical and psychological entrapment Floyd faces.

I felt immersed in his world. The clever staging transforms an empty set into a landscape of memory, myth, and slow-moving tragedy. Lighting and shadow carve out the vastness of the land above and the claustrophobia of the caves below, often in the same breath.

Adam Guettel’s score remains one of the most emotionally and musically complex in the modern musical canon. It’s not an easy listen—but that’s part of its brilliance. The Appalachian-influenced melodies and yearning harmonies stretch and soar, and under the baton of Ted Sperling, every moment is rendered with care.

It’s rare to hear music this difficult performed with such grace and intimacy. Making this a must-hear for serious musical theatre fans.

The cast is uniformly strong, but the show’s soul lies in the ensemble rather than any one performance. Each voice adds to the emotional terrain, and together, they create a landscape that’s both mournful and transcendent.

It’s a quieter piece, and maybe not for everyone. But for those open to a different kind of theatrical experience—one built on stillness, reflection, and loss—Floyd Collins is a revelation.

[KJ4]

Posted: 4/19/25 at 5:10pm

I don't quite understand all the negativity in this forum. The show is fantastic! I attended a performance last week, and it ranks among the top three shows I have ever seen.

It seems to me that those who criticize it for being boring or lacking an arc may not fully grasp the essence of the show. Just because it is based entirely on real life, it feels unjust to label it as boring.

The story revolves around a man facing death. How thrilling can that be? If it were a scripted drama, would we need to introduce a ghost as a subplot to make it more exciting? Or perhaps give the female lead some supernatural powers and have Floyd experience premonitions of his impending death before he becomes trapped in the cave?

We all have loved ones who pass away. For those who do not die suddenly, such as from illness, it becomes clear that there is nothing glamorous about the experience. They lie in bed, take medication, endure pain, eat, sleep, and repeat the cycle. So, make that exciting? How?

Why not share a story about your deceased loved one and create something exciting for us? Craft a narrative filled with intrigue and show us how it unfolds. Seems like a lot of people in this forum are such experts, so come on, show us your genius ability.

Floyd's experience of dying contains more compelling moments than many people have faced in this forum. This show marks the beginning of a media trend, yet it seems some dont even know what the show is about. Huh...

[quizking101]

Posted: 4/19/25 at 5:22pm

FYI - $49 opening night tickets are on sale for Monday 4/21. 

Last row of the Loge

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 4/19/25 at 5:42pm

I don't quite understand all the negativity in this forum. The show is fantastic!

You don't need to understand anything, people have a different view and that's okay.

It seems to me that those who criticize it for being boring or lacking an arc may not fully grasp the essence of the show. Just because it is based entirely on real life, it feels unjust to label it as boring.

Ah yes, the "If you didn't like it you clearly didn't GET it" thing is so tired. Art is subjective. People have different tastes. I'm glad you enjoyed it but allowing everyone room to express their own opinion without judgement is important here. No one here is dumb because this wasn't their thing. Oh, and get familiar with the spoiler button since a lot of people like to go in shows blind and it's rude to ruin that experience for them. 

 

Updated On: 4/19/25 at 05:42 PM

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 4/19/25 at 5:57pm

Thanks, Sutton - you beat me to it! I am truly glad so many on here enjoyed this more than I did - I really am. That being said, I don't think it's fair to say people that didn't enjoy this "didn't understand it". Different opinions on shows is what makes Broadway (and these boards) so interesting.

[whatever2]

Posted: 4/19/25 at 6:03pm

Sutton Ross said: Oh, and get familiar with the spoiler button since a lot of people like to go in shows blind and it's rude to ruin that experience for them."

^THIS. grrrrrrr.

 

[Bwaygurl2]

Posted: 4/19/25 at 6:04pm

KJ4 said: "I don't quite understand all the negativity in this forum. The show is fantastic! I attended a performance last week, and it ranks among the top three shows I have ever seen.

It seems to me that those who criticize it for being boring or lacking an arc may not fully grasp the essence of the show. Just because it is based entirely on real life, it feels unjust to label it as boring.

The story revolves around a man facing death. How thrilling can that be? If it were a scripted drama, would we need to introduce a ghost as a subplot to make it more exciting? Or perhaps give the female lead some supernatural powers and have Floyd experience premonitions of his impending death before he becomes trapped in the cave?

We all have loved ones who pass away. For those who do not die suddenly, such as from illness, it becomes clear that there is nothing glamorous about the experience. They lie in bed, take medication, endure pain, eat, sleep, and repeat the cycle. So, make that exciting? How?

Why not share a story about your deceased loved one and create something exciting for us? Craft a narrative filled with intrigue and show us how it unfolds. Seems like a lot of people in this forum are such experts, so come on, show us your genius ability.

Floyd's experience of dying contains more compelling moments than many people have faced in this forum. This show marks the beginning of a media trend, yet it seems some dont even know what the show is about. Huh..."

Excellent points, KJ! Yes it's sad that so many don't get this (in the sense that it isn't there cup of tea) but I'm glad LCT is taking a chance with an esoteric show. 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 4/19/25 at 6:21pm

bwayphreak234 said: "Thanks, Sutton - you beat me to it!" 

 Whatever2 said:" ^THIS. grrrrrrr"

Yessssssss. Love both your contributions here, keep em coming! 🩷

Updated On: 4/19/25 at 06:21 PM

[getatme]

Posted: 4/19/25 at 11:42pm

Saw the show this afternoon and while I do think it is a mixed bag, I overall greatly enjoyed it.

The score I think is just sublime, tuneful and haunting, performed (mostly) beautifully by a very gifted cast that runs the gamut from old pros to new entries to the Broadway stage.

The book is certainly not on the same level, it tries to tackle too much but doesn't delve deep enough into many of the topics and the scenes feel flimsy at best. But when the scenes give way to Guettel's music and those gorgeous orchestrations, I found myself completely forgiving.

This is the most I've enjoyed Jeremy Jordan since seeing him as the alternate Tony in West Side Story, and it actually ended up angering me because he has spent so many of the intervening years doing these thin-voiced pop musicals when he has such a beautiful, powerful, resonant legit voice that he uses to remarkable effect here. I was worried we would get some of the over-singing I have come to expect from him, but he was incredibly respectful of the score as written and dialed back some of his Jordanisms. You could tell he has a deep affection for the material and the role and that he put in a lot of work to turn in a really wonderful performance. 

The other highlight for me was Taylor Trensch. He has got to be one of my favorite working actors of his generation, he has such an endearing oddness and sincerity that shines through whenever I see him onstage, and this was no different. His Skeets is off-beat, charming, and lovable and I found his chemistry with Jordan and the rest of the company to be a strong through line for the whole show. If Jordan is the leading man, Trensch feels like the glue keeping all the good parts of the production together.

The rest of the supporting cast ranged from decent to good. I thought Lizzy McAlpine seemed a little lost at sea during book scenes, not giving a whole lot of feeling or emotion, but when she opened her mouth to sing, she more than anyone else onstage felt tailor-made for this material. Would be interested in seeing more of her onstage if she were to work on the acting a bit more. Kudisch and Molaskey were good in roles that I think suffer the most from the weak book. Molaskey's voice is rather...nonexistent, but I found it didn't bother me as much as I was expecting it to. Sean Allan Krill is always reliable, and the rest of the cave divers made a great trio.

Jaston Gotay, I'm sorry to say, was the biggest disappointment for me. I found his contemporary pop-voice completely out of step with the rest of the company, and he was singing from the back of his throat right out through his nose and he was getting swallowed up by everyone around him. His scenes made little to no impact, even his confrontations with Krill and Kudisch in act 2. I just found myself wondering what someone else could've done with the role (would love to see Charlie Franklin go on at some point if he's given the chance!).

Production-wise, the high point is certainly "The Call." Jordan is climbing up and up and up, if only it was more lit so you could actually see! I do appreciate the different parts of the stage that lifted to become different areas of the cave, but overall did find that Landau failed to justify this show being done in such a large space. The scenes in the cave were the highlights, but everything aboveground felt incredibly flat. That screen upstage is just an eyesore, and while its mostly used as just a background of sky, when it's got huge cloud projections or fireworks flashing or -- bizarrely -- a starburst effect flashing so wildly I have to assume they're trying to trigger people with epilepsy, it's just hideous.

As I said, I overall did enjoy the afternoon, and I owe the bulk of that to Guettel's score and the glorious voices singing it. While I hoped for a bit more from the direction and design, it's a worthy production and I am glad I got to see this beautiful show performed live.

[quizking101]

Posted: 4/19/25 at 11:49pm

I saw this tonight and honestly can’t make heads or tails of its intentions.

It has a Chekhovian energy that I can’t get over. It’s almost unbearably dour and feels just one very long death sequence. Even in trying to think about the characters’ intentions, none of them seem to make any sense since there isn’t enough elaboration to invest in. The only thing that seemed clear was that both the government and opportunistic capitalists (the carnival) are trying to make a buck off the tragedy - which was done in a much more cynical and engaging way in DEAD OUTLAW. Even when it appears the stakes might be in Floyd’s favor, Landau seems to want to drown it in cheap sentiment.

Gotay and Trensche were great and had the most to work with. Jordan was fine. It was nice to see him in a much darker role again and also have the ability to show off his athletic skill on the various “cave” elements. I found those scenic elements inventive and the use of lighting on Floyd to show how much of him is stuck was very well done.

The audience tonight also seemed very polarized. On one hand, the curtain call had rock concert energy from the audience. On the other, many seats emptied after intermission (including half my row, along with my companion)

[AlmostFamous3]

Posted: 4/20/25 at 3:11am

Saw this today, and it was really the first time I experienced a massive number of people leaving a show at intermission. Even if you didn't like the show, you probably paid quite a bit for the night—would you really rather miss the second act? I'll never understand that, even if the show's not great. Anyway, nearly two full rows near me emptied out after intermission, which just feels so disrespectful to the actors on stage.

[binau]

Posted: 4/20/25 at 6:41am

I've only left a show once at intermission, which was the terrible West End 'Opening Night' Sheridan Smith, Rufus Wainwright, Ivo Van Hove fiasco. Sometimes especially if on a prime night (e.g. Friday or Saturday night) if a show is so boring and unbearable and you're faced with a choice between more misery or cutting your losses and doing something else I can now see why people would choose to leave. Life is too short. I don't see it as disrespectful as long as people are doing it discreetly and not making a big song and dance about it. 

 

 

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 4/20/25 at 6:49am

binau said: "if a show is so boring and unbearable and you're faced with a choice between more misery or cutting your losses and doing something else I can now see why people would choose to leave. Life is too short. I don't see it as disrespectful as long as people are doing it discreetly and not making a big song and dance about it."

Exactly. I don't do it often, but I have no problem leaving during intermission if I'm miserable.

 

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 4/20/25 at 7:35am

Anyway, nearly two full rows near me emptied out after intermission, which just feels so disrespectful to the actors on stage.

I’ll never understand this logic: If a show is bad and you’re not enjoying it, then leave. You owe the actors nothing. This show sounds absolutely insufferable. Had I not returned my tickets because of early posts on this thread, I’d most certainly had left early, and probably before intermission. 

[pagereynolds]

Posted: 4/20/25 at 10:38am

AlmostFamous3 said: "Saw this today, and it was really the first time I experienced a massive number of people leaving a show at intermission. Even if you didn't like the show, you probably paid quite a bit for the night—would you really rather miss the second act? I'll never understand that, even if the show's not great. Anyway, nearly two full rows near me emptied out after intermission, which just feels so disrespectful to the actors on stage."

Were you at the matinee? Because we were at the night show, and didn't see anyone leave. Other than the rear loge, it was packed, and for good reason. Stunning production.

[Shubert Alley Cat]

Posted: 4/20/25 at 11:07am

Discount tix can be had in the orchestra sides.  Is there a a better view for this production from either side?  100s or 500s or doesn’t matter?

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/20/25 at 11:19am

If you’re going for the sides, absolutely go for the 100’s. It’s where Jeremy is situated the majority of the show. 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 4/20/25 at 11:26am

nearly two full rows near me emptied out after intermission, which just feels so disrespectful to the actors on stage.

Actors are pretty tough, it seems you've got to be in that business. So, I doubt they take it as a personal attack on them if anyone leaves. Would I love to be performing and see a half empty theater? No, that wouldn't feel great but I would suck it up and do my job. I remember seeing Days of Wine and Roses and Kelli performing like it was a sold out crowd even though it was barely half full. They are all professionals, I wouldn't worry about hurt feelings. 

[OhHiii]

Posted: 4/21/25 at 1:25pm

The paychecks clear whether you stay for the full show or not. Leave if you want.

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 4/21/25 at 1:27pm

OhHiii said: "The paychecks clear whether you stay for the full show or not. Leave if you want."

I never miss a Garth Drabinsky musical!

[CoffeeBreak]

Posted: 4/21/25 at 5:55pm

When is the review embargo lifted tonight?

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 4/21/25 at 8:35pm

CoffeeBreak said: "When is the review embargo lifted tonight?"

10pm, per Adam Feldman.