STORY BY KAREN BOSSICK

PHOTOS BY OLIVER GUY

A man prepares to meet his Maker as a crowd has a feeding frenzy above.

“Floyd Collins” is the touching story of a family and town whose life is turned upside down when one of theirs is trapped in a cave.

It’s oddly appealing. And in the hands of The Spot, the musical by Adam Guettel and Tina Landau proves a powerful action-packed musical that’s well worth the two hours it takes to see it.

In fact, The Spot just added an additional show—at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 31—because the show is proving so popular.

The 1996 musical is based on the haunting real-life tale of a Kentuckian who decides “money ain’t in farmin’ but in cavin.’ ” And he thinks he can find another mega tourist attraction not too far from Mammoth Cave.

“He was just as smart as he was brave. He was gonna find him a perfect cave,” the folk song “The Ballad of Floyd Collins” introduces the title character to the audience.

Kevin Wade, who plays Floyd Collins, scrapes his way to the bottom of a hole in the ground only to find himself trapped on the way back out.

It doesn’t look good.

“This here is one of the meanest tightest, blackest, wettest, wormiest clamp-down-on-you-so-you-can’t-go-nowhere suffocating sinkholes I ever did see,” opines one of the characters.

Stuck in the dark crumbling cave, Collins maintains his humor and optimism.

“Be calm boy, be calm,” he sings. “They’ll come for me. Might take a day.”

But above, the tale of a trapped spelunker has riveted 1925 America. The small town is turned into something akin to a carnival as gawkers and reporters pour in over the next 17 days.

“Although they live such simple lives, the Collins family manages to own a car and even wear shoes,” pens one reporter.

Jordan J. Ford plays a forceful Homer Collins, Floyd’s younger brother, who  tries his best to save his brother only to be thwarted by H.T. Carmichael, who botches the rescue mission, and a movie mogul who tells him he’s not acting exhausted and dirty enough as he emerges from the cave.

“I’d love to be in one of your movies one day, but right now my brother is still trapped,” Homer retorts.

Isaac Brannon is perfectly cast as the young scrub-faced reporter Skeets Miller who until now has covered sports and obits.

He rolls up his sleeves and lowers himself into the hole in the ground, comforting Floyd and even volunteering to put his life at risk to save him. Most telling is how he casts a questioning, even regretful, eye at other reporters trying to milk the situation for their own gain.

It should be noted that the real Skeets Miller won a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting.

Chances are you’ve never seen anything quite like this musical. The music by Tony Award winner Adam Guettel, grandson of Richard Rodgers, takes the audience on an interesting journey as it shifts through bluegrass, bits of jazz and blues, classical hints, a yodel or two and even a song titled “Is that Remarkable?” that evokes thoughts of “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.”

Just when you think you’ve got the rhythm down, it twists and morphs into something different.

Even Floyd Collins’ echoes become fodder for a melodic song.

“I love it,” said Tim Eagan, who creates a earnest depiction of the stern Lee Collins, a toothpick-chewing farmer who disdains his son’s caving. “The song ‘Daybreak’ has absolutely beautiful harmony, and the finale is really powerful.”

Jana Arnold relishes her role to create yet another memorable character with a bit of a humorous twist.

“It’s a true story based on a unique true story. And it has a lot of love stories but not in the sense of romance. Nor is it your typical musical with dancing and all,” she said. “It’s very unique and very vocally challenging. Even the band will tell you it’s a challenge to learn.”

Yanna Lantz plays Floyd’s mentally challenged sister Nellie, who brings a sweetness to the situation, as she sings “Good news around the bend. Trouble days is gonna end.”

Other cast members include Todd Schwieder, Kagen Albright, Rachel Aanestad, Andrew Alburger and Megan Mahoney.

Grant Carey directs a band that includes R.L. Rowsey, Alyssa Claffey, Brad Hershey, Michael Kelly, and Scott Farkas, who learned to play the banjo for this play.

The play continues at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, Jan. 31-Feb. 3, at The Spot, 220 Lewis St. in Ketchum.

Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for students, available at www.spotsunvalley.com.