Floyd Collins (1996 Original Off-Broadway Cast) | Adam Guettel, Christopher Innvar, ...

Floyd Collins (1996 Original Off-Broadway Cast) | Adam Guettel, Christopher Innvar, ... | Breathtaking.

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Floyd Collins (199...

	Floyd Collins (1996 Original Off-Broadway Cast) Adam Guettel, Christopher Innvar, ... Nonesuch, 1997 average customer review:based on 59 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

One thing is certain: Adam Guettel's Floyd Collins is a musical like no other on Broadway. Based on a true story from 1925, Collins follows a Kentucky farmer who seeks riches by trying to discover the largest cave in the region, gets trapped, and becomes the subject of an intense media circus (happening just above him on ground level). Floyd is never saved and the gawkers eventually pack up and move away, but don't be confused: this production is about far more than spelunking gone awry. Adam Guettel has created an infectious musical filled with Americana (plenty of bluegrass and Aaron Copland references in the music), smart lyrics, and true depth. Christopher Innvar plays Floyd to great effect, a guy so immersed in his quest for the American Dream it's hard not to fall for him. The music is gorgeous and varying--"The Riddle Song," sung by Floyd's brother Homer (played here by Jason Danieley), is funny; "The Dream" is downright angelic--and the story is simply spellbinding. Broadway in the 1990s has seen few musicals so original. --Jason Verlinde

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Adam Guettel is a Genius

We saw Floyd Collins in Chicago at Goodman Theater -- and saw it again and bought the CD. This confluence between Sondheim and country (?)/folk (?) music is just so remarkable, that it takes my breath away every time I hear it.

Breathtaking.

I live in West Virginia, only seventy miles from where this story takes place. I've been exposed to Appalachian rhythms since I was born.

And right off the bat, as soon as the beautiful melody kicks in on "The Call", it's immediately apparent that Guettel knows what he's doing. The gorgeous orchestrations sweep carefree from tempo to tempo, making brilliant use of Appalachian fiddle, banjo, and acoustic guitar, in addition to more traditional musical theater instrumentation. The melodies in each song careen along, bouncing off different musical genres, taking bits and pieces here and there, and with seemingly no regard for traditional song structure. The end result is genuinely American - Guettel can evoke more emotion and history in a single piano line or fiddle sting than any other composer currently working. I realize this is pure, fawning adulation, but listen to Floyd harmonize triumphantly with his echo on the wrenching final track, How Glory Goes, and tell me you're not moved.

The cast is perfect, every member displaying a rangy and powerful voice. Christopher Innvar's rich, earthy baritenor rings clearly in all of his songs, bringing all of Floyd's emotion and yearning to life. It doesn't hurt that his acting is without flaw, either. As Floyd's little brother Homer, Jason Danieley navigates the stratospheric upper ranges of his tenor with ease. His voice is strong, crystal clear, and possesses astounding range. Theresa McCarthy, Don Chastain, Cass Morgan, Jesse Lenat, and Martin Moran are uniformly excellent in their supporting roles, and look for a young Brian D'Arcy James as one of a group of muckraking reporters.

There is not a single bad song to be found. From the giddy yodeling of "The Call" to the enchanting, yearning beauty of "Daybreak" to the exhilarating "Riddle Song" to the comforting "Heart an' Hand"... actually, I should stop, because I'll just wind up naming every song on the album. Suffice it to say, Guettel's little slice of Americana never fails to amaze, revealing beautiful ballads, rollicking folk songs, duets, and quirky character numbers - sometimes within the same song.

Floyd Collins is one of my favorite shows of all time.

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Glorious music

Adam Guettel's music and lyrics are beautiful. I cry everytime I listen to How The Glory Goes.

A diamond in the rough (yay for dumb mining jokes...)

Sometimes you can go to your local music store (or amazon.com, if that tickles your fancy), buy a soundtrack to a show you have never seen before, listen to it, and immediately fall in love with the show and really dont care that you havent actually seen a production of it. Unfortunately, Floyd Collins does not happen to be one of those shows. I have found that people who see the show and run out and purchase the soundtrack are much happier than those who pick up the CD without having see the show. I was one of the people who never saw Floyd Collins, but heard about Adam Guettel in a roundabout fashion and emptied my piggy bank to risk it on this CD. The results were mixed.

When you first listen to Floyd Collins, a few things make themselves immediately clear. First is that their accents are dumb. There is no way getting around the fact that some music and lyrics that had the potential to be timeless are dragged down by silly Southern backwater twangs. While it may have given the show some sort of realism, it does nothing but hamper the recording. Next. There are no "tunes". By that I mean that there are no clear memorable melodies (with the one obvious exception being the ballad of floyd theme that is eerily catchy), and you probably wont suddenly start whistling one of the songs the next day as you are knitting or driving to work or whatever. The songs are made up of notes that dont fall on the beat and dischordant harmonies. It is beautiful, but unconventional, which really sets the tone for the entire show.

The main thing that really took away from the Floyd Collins experience by not having seen the show was matching the songs up with some actual storyline. We all know that the show is about a guy who gets trapped in a cave, but a lot of the songs revolve what is happening above ground versus below ground, and I never really picked up on any of the changes between reality and Floyd's fantasy. I just recently saw an excellent amateur production, and I have a newfound appreciation for the actual storyline which drives the intense songs and plot along. If you ever have a chance to see a production of this show, take it, because it is an invaluable opportunity to making this soundtrack amazing.

Now that I have walked a bit on top of Floyd, some highlights. The one thing that always amazes me, that I can listen to twenty times in a row and still be stunned, is the echo. Floyd Collins must be the only show in which a person sings in three and four part harmony with his own echo, and does so with such beauty... The best example of it is in Part 1: The Call, but throughout the show, Guettel infuses this self harmonization, which is original and, in my personal opinion, genius. Other peaks in the soundtrack include the reprise of the Ballad of Floyd Collins, which is a repeat of the haunting melody, sung with real raw passion, and the Riddle Song, which demonstrates the vocal prowess of the leading men and the ability for Guettel to write complex yet fun music. The rest of the album is filled with strong songs sung by a strong cast (Christopher Innvar really stands above the rest as a spectacular singer). As a side note, all of Adam Guettel's productions come packed exceptionally well, and I was very impressed Floyd Collins' large accompanying booklet thing. Just for people who care about those sorts of things. Anyway.

Hopefully, now that The Light in the Piaza (or however you spell it) is getting so much acclaim, people with revisit Floyd Collins and find something new and exciting. And while Floyd has its flaws, it really is a remarkable album that I highly suggest people purchase.

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