Floyd Collins - 2025 Broadway History , Info & More
Broadway will be singing a new ballad in 2025. Floyd Collins makes its Broadway debut in the the first major revival since the show's off-Broadway premiere in 1996. Floyd Collins will arrive on Broadway 30 years after its original premiere and 100 years after the incident on which it is based.
The musical started as a collaboration between Adam Guettel (music and lyrics) and Tina Landau (book)- both students at Yale University. Landau brough the idea to Guettel after reading about the real man whose story inspired the show.
William Floyd Collins (born 1887) was an American cave explorer from Kentucky, who in the 1920s, took part in "the Kentucky Cave Wars," seeking out caves for commercial profit from tourists. Known today as Mammoth Cave National Park, the region is home to the longest known cave system in the world. Collins' story, as told in the musical, begins when he finds a small passage leading to Sand Cave. Collins becomes trapped in that passage, triggering a national media sensation (using the new technology of broadcast radio) and effort to rescue him.
Early versions of Floyd Collins were called Deathwatch Carnival before it the duo renamed the show for its leading character. It premiered at the American Music Theater Festival, in Philadelphia, in 1994 before opening off Broadway at Playwrights Horizons.
Directed by Landau, the cast included Christopher Innvar as Floyd Collins, Don Chastain as Lee Collins, Martin Moran as Skeets Miller, Jason Danieley as Homer Collins, and Theresa McCarthy as Nellie Collins, Cass Morgan as Miss Jane, and Brian d'Arcy James, Matthew Bennett and Michael Mulheren in the ensemble. It ran for just 25 performances.
Ben Brantley wrote in his New York Times review: "Floyd Collins cannot and should not be dismissed. Ms. Landau and Mr. Guettel may be clunky wordsmiths, but they have other skills that gleam with promise. As she demonstrated in her open-air production of "Stonewall: Night Variations," Ms. Landau has a lyrical and lucid sense of stage imagery... And Mr. Guettel establishes himself as a young composer of strength and sophistication, weaving strands from the Americana of Copland and the uneasy dissonance of Sondheim into a score that projects the ambivalence the text and lyrics don't capture."
Despite the show's short run, it won the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical in 1996. Due to its enduring cast recording, the musical has achieved a devoted following. The musical's final song, "How Glory Goes," has achieved its own special status as a much covered song by Broadway's best, including a version by Audra McDonald featured on her solo album of the same title.
The new Broadway company features Jeremy Jordan as Floyd Collins, Jason Gotay as Homer Collins, Sean Allan Krill as H.T. Carmichael, Marc Kudisch as Lee Collins, Lizzy McAlpine as Nellie Collins, Wade McCollum as Bee Doyle, Jessica Molaskey as Miss Jane, Taylor Trensch as Skeets Miller, Cole Vaughan as Jewell Estes as well as Kevin Bernard, Dwayne Cooper, Jeremy Davis, Charlie Franklin, Kristen Hahn, Happy McPartlin, Kevyn Morrow, Zak Resnick, Justin Showell, Colin Trudell, and Clyde Voce.
Floyd Collins will have sets by dots, costumes by Anita Yavich, lighting by Scott Zielinski, sound by Dan Moses Schreier, and projections by Ray Sun, with dance sequences by Jon Rua, casting by The Telsey Office, Patrick Goodwin, CSA and music direction by Ted Sperling. Bonnie Panson will be the stage manager. Lincoln Center Theater is producing FLOYD COLLINS in association with Creative Partners Productions and Mark Cortale & Charles D. Urstadt.
Floyd Collins, featuring a haunting exploration of the American dream by Landau and a glorious folk and bluegrass-inspired score by Guettel, tells the transcendent tale of a true American dreamer.
Floyd Collins - 2025 - Broadway Cast
PREVIEW Floyd Collins - 2025 - Broadway
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Videos
FEATURED REVIEWS FOR Floyd Collins
From: Deadline
By: Greg Evans
Date: 2025-04-21
8 / 10
With Guettel’s often sublime score and lyrics that get at the terror, cynicism and, most of all, undying hope against hope well captured in Landau’s book, Floyd Collins might haunt some of those who see it now just as surely as it haunted so many back in ’96... Still, the score, and the production itself, can, and does, drag at times, particularly near the end, when, maybe with a bit of guilt, some audience members might wish a fast-forward to fate. Not to compare our endurance test to that of poor ol’ Floyd, but still, tighter tale-telling, less musical repetition and more intimate staging could send the estimable Floyd Collins soaring.
From: The Wall Street Journal
By: Charles Isherwood
Date: 2025-04-21
9 / 10
Although its subject is inherently sad, Floyd Collins depicts the title character and his family with a tenderness that allows the musical to transcend any abiding sense of despair. Floyd’s final solo, ‘How Glory Goes’—one of Mr. Guettel’s most rhapsodic and best-known songs—is performed with a transfixing ardency by Mr. Jordan, and leaves you with a sense of spiritual uplift that, in contrast to similar climaxes in many musicals, feels not manufactured to manipulate the emotions, but absolutely authentic... A seasoned actor giving his finest performance to date, Mr. Jordan provides the musical with an affecting emotional center... This one-of-a-kind musical leaves you not with the chill of the cave but with a warmth that glows.
BUY Floyd Collins - 2025 - Broadway MERCH & SOUVENIRS
Video: FLOYD COLLINS Star Jeremy Jordan Sings 'How Glory Goes'
by A.A. Cristi - May 29, 2025
The cast of the 2025 Broadway revival of Floyd Collins has stepped into the studio to record a brand-new Original Broadway Cast Album. Among the highlights of the upcoming release is a newly recorded version of “How Glory Goes,” performed by the show's Tony-nominated star, Jeremy Jordan. Watch the video!
A Brief History of FLOYD COLLINS
by Jennifer Ashley Tepper - June 1, 2025
It’s not out of the ordinary these days for worthwhile musicals that originally premiered off-Broadway and then entered the canon to receive their Broadway debuts decades later. Floyd Collins shares this journey with shows including Assassins, Gutenberg! The Musical!, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, The Last 5 Years, Little Shop of Horrors, and Violet.
Video: FLOYD COLLINS Star Lizzy McAlpine Sings the Searing Ballad, 'Through the Mountain'
by A.A. Cristi - May 22, 2025
The cast of the 2025 Broadway revival of Floyd Collins has stepped into the studio to record a brand-new Original Broadway Cast Album. Among the highlights of the upcoming release is a newly recorded version of “Through the Mountain,” performed by singer-songwriter Lizzy McAlpine, who stars in the production. Watch the video!
Video: Go Inside the Recording Studio with FLOYD COLLINS
by Michael Major - May 21, 2025
Go inside the recording studio with the cast of Floyd Collins with a new video! The recording is set to feature Jeremy Jordan, Jason Gotay, Sean Allan Krill, Marc Kudisch, Lizzy McAlpine, Taylor Trensch, and more.
Photos: In the Recording Studio for FLOYD COLLINS
by Nicole Rosky - May 14, 2025
Lincoln Center Theater’s Broadway debut of Tina Landau and Adam Guettel’s FLOYD COLLINS became a six-time Tony Award nominated production and recorded the Original Broadway Cast Recording of the celebrated revival. Check out photos of the cast and orchestra here.
Video: FLOYD COLLINS Opening Night with Jeremy Jordan & More
by Joey Mervis - April 24, 2025
Floyd Collins, the beloved musical by Adam Guettel and Tina Landau, just celebrated its opening night earlier this week at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre. Watch in this video as we take you inside opening night with Jeremy and the rest of the company!
Review Roundup: FLOYD COLLINS Opens On Broadway
by A.A. Cristi - April 21, 2025
A shocking and true tale of the American West comes to life on Broadway tonight as FLOYD COLLINS, opens at Lincoln Center Theater, in a new production starring Tony-nominee Jeremy Jordan. Read the reviews of the musical's Broadway debut!
Video: Go Inside FLOYD COLLINS' Genre-Bending Score
by A.A. Cristi - April 11, 2025
Check out a new look at Floyd Collins on Broadway as the cast and creative team digs deep into the glorious folk and bluegrass-inspired music of Floyd Collins. Watch the video!
Watch the FLOYD COLLINS Cast Take on Trivia in New Video
by Emmy Rice - March 29, 2025
Floyd Collins, a musical with book and direction by Tina Landau and music and lyrics by Adam Guettel, is in previews now at the Vivian Beaumont Theater. Check here for a video of the cast answering some trivia questions!
FLOYD COLLINS Delays First Broadway Preview
by Chloe Rabinowitz - March 24, 2025
Lincoln Center Theater's FLOYD COLLINS, a musical with book by Tina Landau, music and lyrics by Adam Guettel, additional lyrics by Tina Landau and direction by Tina Landau, has delayed its first preview. Learn more!
Meet the Cast of FLOYD COLLINS, Now on Broadway
by Stephi Wild - March 28, 2025
Performances are now underway for Lincoln Center Theater's Broadway premiere of Floyd Collins, a musical with book by Tina Landau, music and lyrics by Adam Guettel, additional lyrics by Tina Landau and direction by Tina Landau. Meet the cast of the production!
Character Breakdown: FLOYD COLLINS Cast Unpacks Their Roles
by Joey Mervis - March 22, 2025
Rehearsals are now underway for the Broadway premiere of Tina Landau and Adam Guettel's Floyd Collins, which opens April 21 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater. Watch as the cast unpacks their roles in this video.
Floyd Collins FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What are the songs in Floyd Collins and what's the order?
The Call
Tween a Rock and a Hard Place
Lucky
Daybreak
I Landed on It
Blue Eyes
Heart an' Hand
The Riddle Song
Is That Remarkable?
The Carnival
Through the Mountain
Git Comfortable
Family Hymn
The Dream
How Glory Goes
The Ballad of Floyd Collins
Where a Man Belongs
Floyd Collins History
Other Productions of Floyd Collins
|
1996 |
Off-Broadway |
Original Off-Broadway Production
Off-Broadway
|
|
1999 |
London Fringe |
London Revival
London Fringe
|
Floyd Collins - 2025 Broadway Awards and Nominations
Note: Award winners are highlighted with a background.
Floyd Collins awards and nominations
| Year |
Ceremony |
Category |
Nominee |
| 2025 |
Drama Desk Awards |
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical |
Jason Gotay |
| 2025 |
Drama Desk Awards |
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical |
Jeremy Jordan |
| 2025 |
Drama Desk Awards |
Outstanding Lighting Design of a Musical |
Scott Zielinski |
| 2025 |
Drama Desk Awards |
Outstanding Lighting Design of a Musical |
Ruey Horng Sun |
| 2025 |
Drama Desk Awards |
Outstanding Sound Design of a Musical |
Dan Moses Schreier |
| 2025 |
Outer Critics Circle Awards |
Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Musical |
Jeremy Jordan |
| 2025 |
Outer Critics Circle Awards |
Outstanding Revival of a Musical |
Floyd Collins |
| 2025 |
Tony Awards |
Best Lighting Design of a Musical |
Scott Zielinski |
| 2025 |
Tony Awards |
Best Lighting Design of a Musical |
Ruey Horng Sun |
| 2025 |
Tony Awards |
Best Orchestrations |
Bruce Coughlin |
| 2025 |
Tony Awards |
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical |
Taylor Trensch |
| 2025 |
Tony Awards |
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical |
Jeremy Jordan |
| 2025 |
Tony Awards |
Best Sound Design of a Musical |
Dan Moses Schreier |
