Description

“Only heaven knows how glory goes, what each of us was meant to be. In the starlight, that is what we are. I can see so far.” Adam Guettel, from Floyd Collins When TWS’ interim artistic director Melissa Chin-Parker first heard the original cast recording of “Floyd Collins” in 1996 (a gift from then Artistic Director, Tom Humphrey), she fell in love with the glorious and haunting score. The unlikely inspiration for a musical is the true-life tragedy of cave explorer Floyd Collins, whose search for fame and fortune within the winding caverns of Kentucky results in a media frenzy created by the new technology of the 1920’s, broadcast radio. Even though Collins’ life was cut short, this telling is full of hope, joy, strength of spirit and family, transcendence and glory. This is an early work of composer Adam Guettel, whose musical lineage includes composer and mother, Mary Rogers and grandfather Richard Rogers, famed partner of Lorenz Hart and then Oscar Hammerstein II. Guettel won the Tony Award for best original score and best orchestration for “Light in the Piazza”. His music, once described by Stephen Sondheim as “dazzling”, is known for its complexity and chromatics reminiscent of Stravinsky, Ravel, Debussy and Britten. This musical is a beautiful blend of Guettel’s classical complexity woven into traditional folk and bluegrass motifs. 10 Performances; July 16 – 30, 2022 Weekends, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Sundays and specific Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. www.westernstage.com