I was at the first performance of the musical Floyd Collins at Playwrights Horizons, New York in 1996 and its haunting beauty has remained with me ever since. It was baffling to me how a man down a mine shaft with a leg trapped under a rock could make engaging subject matter for a show, but I left the performance profoundly moved and knew I had witnessed the future of the American Musical. In this stunning duet, Floyd’s younger brother stays the night with Floyd to comfort him.

This post originally ran on March 29, 2016.