'Floyd Collins' a musical with a message

Director John D. Glover points to the lyrics in "Floyd Collins," opening Thursday at Towle Community Theater, for the moral of the story.

"There's a couple numbers in the show that talk about 'where a man belongs,'" he said. "And I think one of the messages there is that it's good to have dreams, but you should be very careful because if you take it too far, that dream can easily turn into a nightmare."

Running through July 19, the fact-based "Collins" is the tale of the title character, a cave explorer in search of fame and fortune in 1925 Kentucky. The adventurer causes a media sensation when he is trapped underground.

The real-life Collins, who maintained voice contact with would-be rescuers, perished after two weeks 55 feet below the surface.

Tina Landau wrote the book, with music and lyrics by Adam Guettel and additional lyrics by Landau. The drama bowed off-Broadway in 1996, receiving an Obie Award - the off-Broadway equivalent of a Tony -- for its score. Numbers include Americana-flavored songs such as "Heart An' Hand," "Carnival," and "How Glory Goes."

"I like it because it's based on real events," Glover said. "It's not just a creative invention in somebody's mind. It's a creative interpretation of something that actually truly happened."

Kevin Bellamy from Hammond -- director of administration at Towle -- plays Collins. The cast includes Steven Spanopolous of Joliet as Floyd's brother, Homer, Scot Kokandy of Joliet as reporter Skeets Miller, and Sarah Penrose of Chesterton as Floyd's sister, Nellie.

Glover and his crew had to do some ingenious retooling of the Hammond theater to stage "Collins." Subscribers and regulars may be confounded at first. Remember, scenes are set in a cave.

"We've completely turned (the theater) around," Glover said. "The risers upon which the chairs usually sit have become the foundation for the set of this show. And the audience will be sitting on the floor in the area where usually the shows are performed."