Floyd Collins

Review by Jenny Lower

After discovering an exquisite subterranean cavern, a Kentucky caver dreams of launching a tourist attraction, only to become the attraction himself when he gets trapped. And yet the true story of an adventurer caught 100 feet underground for 17 days appeals to the best and worst parts of American exceptionalism — our can-do spirit and thirst for homespun heroics, our voyeuristic fascination with survival tales, and the exploitative side of entrepreneurial dreams.

These fertile intersections form the basis for the show, which won an Obie award in 1996 for its score (by The Light in the Piazza composer Adam Guetell) after running for only 25 performances off-Broadway. The La Mirada Performing Arts Center production directed by Richard Israel, with musical direction by David O, taps into this energy with verve and excitement. But it isn’t quite able to overcome the weaknesses inherent in the book by Tina Landau, that leave the events onstage feeling hazy and indistinct. Despite allusions to deeper conflicts and relationships, the show doesn’t close the gap between the promise of these conflicts and their full realization.

The production makes use of some nifty staging, such as Floyd’s (Mark Whitten) careful shimmying through invisible crevices in the opening scene, and “The Riddle Song,” in which Floyd and his younger brother Homer (Jonah Platt) recall swimming in the ol’ fishing hole and close out Act 1. But it’s a long stretch between these bright moments, and a show in which the central character remains pinned in place for much of the production needs more of them, especially in the first half. “Is That Remarkable?,” a jaunty, sly tune about the reporters swarming over the rescue scene is so successful, it serves to highlight how little choreography exists otherwise. Rich Rose’s scenic design gives us an evocative, craggy set with mineshaft frame, but it feels woefully underused: Instead of burrowing through its passageways, the rescuers pop up like gophers.

Whitten ably captures Floyd’s gee-whiz optimism, and the core cast offers strong individual performances. But the ties connecting them remain tenuous. Kim Huber is most successful as Nellie, Floyd’s touched-in-the-head sister and the Beatrice to his Dante, who complements the score with her piercing voice. It’s these lilting Appalachian melodies that offer something to savor after the indistinct storylines have faded away. –Jenny Lower

La Mirada Performing Arts Center, 14900 La Mirada Blvd., La Mirada; Tues.-Thurs., 7:30 p.m.; Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2 & 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 & 7 p.m. (no perf Sun., April 13, 7 p.m.); through April 13. (562) 944-9801, www.lamiradatheatre.com