Come From Away– Needed Positivity
Newfoundlanders call anyone not from the island “come from away.”
We live in an era of frustration, bigotry, violence and corruption wherein every man for himself often seems the prevalent philosophy. Media covers the dissolution of honesty, morals, even democracy more frequently than altruism, decency, and human kindness.
Canadian born Come From Away opened on Broadway in 2017 garnering every award we could muster. Reviews commonly praised its uplifting narrative, respectful approach, and production skill as much as entertainment value. Professional conflicts forced me to miss the musical when first invited; I come to it fresh. The experience is highly recommended, not just for qualities previously recognized, but for increased need to believe again in one’s fellow man.
Astrid Van Wieran and the Company
Everyone remembers where they were September 11, 2001 when the Twin Towers (and Pentagon) were hit. Some lost loved ones. Some volunteered, in the end perceiving the tragedy differently than those who read and observed from safety. Like Good Samaritans who stepped up in New York (and Washington), the small town (10,000) of Gander, Newfoundland exemplified the best of us selflessly rising to the unexpected.
It’s more possible to wrap one’s mind around a microcosm of what occurred than to grasp its entire scope. The husband and wife team of Irene Sankoff and David Hein conducted countless interviews. Come From Away depicts a cross section of relatable locals, passengers, and air personnel, many based on actual people.
The Company
On September 11, 2001, Gander airport, the closest point between Europe and the United States, saw the arrival of 30 rerouted planes disgorging 6700 exhausted, hungry, confused passengers onto the tarmac with only carry-ons, blankets, and pillows. All had to be processed by a single immigration officer. Some spoke no English. Suspicion was high. In the show, a Middle Eastern man is taken aside and later shunned by fellow passengers until it’s discovered he’s the master chef for a chain of upscale hotel restaurants. People were frantic to find out what was going on. Cellphones were not ubiquitous, charging impossible. In this scenario, it’s not until an American Airlines flight is settled at a community center with two televisions that the horrified group learns what occurred.
Bus drivers on strike that day (true) left picket lines to ferry people to neighboring towns. Every church, school, camp, and community center (in addition to hotels) became ersatz dormitories set up with cots, mattresses and kitchens. People accustomed to leaving house and car doors unlocked opened their homes. “Thank you for shopping at Walmart. Would you like to come back to my house and take a shower,” one local asks. Bonnie (Sharon Sayegh), a determined animal activist, rescues 17 dogs, cats and several Bonobo apes (on their way to a zoo) despite wary police unsure whether planes might contain bombs.
Jean Colella and the Company
First we get a sense of the town. Genial Mayor Claude Elliott (Gene Weygandt): “What we consider the most simple things in life is to help people,” the real mayor told reporters; police chief Oz (Paul Whitty), air traffic controller Doug (Jim Walton), earth mother organizer Beulah (Astrid Van Wieran)- bonding with Hannah, whose son is a New York firefighter, and novice television reporter Janice (Emily Walton). All based on real people.
Those representative of the flight include: Capable Beverly Bass (Rachel Tucker), the first woman pilot for American Airlines; curmudgeonly Kevin J. (Kevin S. McAllister) and his open minded, lover/boss Kevin T. (James Seol), who face the situation adversely; conservative British bachelor Nick (Jim Walton) and Texan Diane (Sharon Wheatley), who connect. Again, all based on real people. (There are after-stories.) Coping mechanisms on the grounded flight (some had been stuck in a plane for 31 hours) are empathetic and often humorous. In fact, humor deftly winds its way through the entire piece.
Pharmacists stayed open around the clock, grocery store owners said take what you want. No one would accept money. When flights finally took off, church donation and community center suggestion boxes were found to be stuffed with cash in many currencies. One plane collected $15,000 in contributions on the way home funding a scholarship since awarded to 228 students.
The Company
A barbecue party is joyful. (Passengers were taken berry picking and sightseeing, even moose hunting.) Bass said she felt guilty having such a good time in Gander while so many suffered. Many of “the plane people” as they were called, were forever changed. Some kept in touch with each other or hosts. Reunions were organized.
Without an intermission, the audience grows enmeshed. Folksy music, though similarly arranged, is pleasing, lively, and not without character. Lyrics are wonderfully specific. An adroit book manages to epitomize actions and feelings of an entire town with indicative incidents and gestures. Individual stories draw one in. The ensemble moves as one organism. Voices are terrific across the board (Rachel Tucker and Q. Smith stand-outs.) Acting is sympathetic.
Also featuring: De’lon Grant
Christopher Ashley’s direction is imaginative and fluid often involving seated movement. He has an eye for composition and a sense of understated momentum keeping the story, though musicalized, on a human scale.
Dialect coach Joel Goldes offers convincing Newfoundland, Texan, Floridian and British accents.
Costumes by Toni-Leslie James have walked in off the street i.e. they seem utterly natural.
You have a month or so before this production closes. Take advantage of much needed positivity. Treat yourself.
Photos by Matthew Murphy
Come From Away
Book, Music & Lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein
Directed by Christopher Ashley
Musical Staging – Kelly Devine
Music Supervision – Ian Eisendrath
Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre
236 West 45th Street
Through October 2, 2022
