Floyd Collins Echoes at Lincoln Center

Fresh Faces Enliven the Cast

By: Susan Hall - Apr 24, 2025

In 1925, a seemingly prescient family farmer became captivated by the idea of bringing a one-act Barnum and Bailey-style circus to the caves of Kentucky. Against this backdrop unfolds the story of Floyd Collins, whose entrapment in this famously fragile landscape—formed by the dissolution of limestone, collapsing sinkholes, sinking streams, and springs—captured national attention. His burial in the very Sand Cave he had chosen became a media sensation.

Young composer Adam Guettel, working with lyricist and director Tina Landau, won the Lucille Lortel Award and the Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical for their work on Floyd Collins. This remarkable piece is now being reprised at the Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center.

A fresh cast breathes new life into the production. Jeremy Jordan, a fan favorite from Newsies, The Great Gatsby, and numerous other shows, leads the ensemble. A fantastical "buddy show" dynamic emerges between him and his brother, played by Jason Gotay. Yet, despite their chemistry, the desperation of Floyd’s entrapment is only lightly touched upon.

Scott Zielinski, internationally renowned for his lighting design, reprises his original work and once again creates magic on the Lincoln Center stage. With focused spotlights isolating individual characters, he evokes the feeling of a tunnel boring into earth—or sand. Bee Doyle’s farm, set on a karst plateau, frames the show with tranquil sunrises and sunsets. The only puffy blue sky appears in a celestial scene. Throughout, bold and subtle lighting effects captivate the eye.

The score is spare but hints at Guettel’s future brilliance—The Light in the Piazza, also a Lincoln Center favorite, comes to mind. Echoes of sound in the cave, shaped by light, and folk-song motifs remind us we are not far from an old Kentucky home.

The young audience loved the show.

Playing through June 22nd.