Come From Away Review

Post date: Sep 26, 2017 3:56:20 PM

By Skye Dupree

Come From Away tells the true story of when 38 planes holding 7,000 people were all redirected to a tiny town, Gander, in Newfoundland on 9/11 and the next few days after. The population of the town nearly doubled, sending Gander residents scrambling to accommodate this massive influx of people. This musical tells how everyone in the town and on the planes formed a special connection both to the town and also to each other.

I saw the evening performance of Come From Away on Saturday, September 16th, 2017. Before the show, I had seen the 2017 Tony Awards performance of the opening number, Welcome To The Rock, and I had liked it; however, I had not listened to the soundtrack at all or tried to look up the plot beyond what I vaguely knew. I went in with no idea of what to expect… and this show did NOT disappoint.

The set was very simple, consisting only of enough wooden chairs for everyone in the cast, two tables, and a large, circular cut-out of the stage that could be rotated. The chairs and tables looked worn, the stage was painted brown with blue streaks, and the staging was overall very simple. However, this worked well for the show. The pieces of furniture were easily rearranged to show the different locations of the show: a straight line of chairs two by two for the plane, chairs pushed up to tables for the town diner, a semicircle for the tavern, randomly scattered chairs for makeshift housing, and even a row at the edge of the circular cutout to show a lookout.

The cast only had twelve people, each playing a minimum of two roles: one of the town natives and one of the plane passengers. Through contrasting dialects, accents, and vocabulary, the actors easily switched back and forth between characters in a way that was not confusing for the audience because the characters were made so distinctive. Many different perspectives were offered, including an American Airlines pilot attempting to get her passengers back home (played by Jenn Colella), an SPCA worker who fought to care for the nine animals on the various planes (played by Petrina Romley), and a Muslim man who was prejudiced against for the duration of the entire event (played by Caesar Samayoa). All of the characters were played with the depth and the emotional intensity one would expect from people during such a dramatic, life-changing experience. The characters were realistic; they said the wrong things, they made the wrong choices, and they were as flawed as any regular person. But these people, linked closely over the five days, proved that the bonds between people can still thrive even in the face of tragedy.

The music in Come From Away has a distinctive sound that is both filled with energy and folk-like, catering both to the Newfoundland, rural setting of the show while also reflecting the emotions running high through the people in Gander. One song, 28 Hours, talks about how some people on the planes were trapped there for over a full day. The song candidly the fear, anger, and confusion that took over the entire plane during that time. The panic of both the passengers and crew, desperate and disconnected from the rest of the world, was palpable in the theater and candidly portrayed by the ensemble. Another song,”I Am Here”, is the lament of a woman, Hannah, whose son is a firefighter in NYC. Frustrated at the lack of information, and knowing she should be in New York helping her son, Hannah feels helpless and upset. Q Smith’s wrenching performance elicits pure empathy from the audience with her heartbreaking portrayal of a mother terrified for her child.

Most of the songs transition into each other, so knowing the exact endings and beginnings of the songs without listening to the soundtrack multiple times was difficult. This is not a criticism, though, as the transitions were so smooth and well-done that the songs flowed seamlessly into each other. The songs also accurately portrayed the emotions present in the characters, putting the audience in their shoes. The music in Come From Away pays homage to the rustic, folk sound of Newfoundland while also filling the music with new energy and life.

This show, more than anything else, is about people. The inhabitants of Gander, when confronted with this overwhelming dilemma, did not cower or run from the task at hand. They worked tirelessly to provide food, supplies, and housing for the 7,000 people entering their tiny town. They treated these strangers with utmost kindness, giving them clothes, food, and a bed simply out of goodwill. They went above and beyond what was required of them, and forged ties with these strangers. In return, the travellers on the planes tried to return their kindness by thanking them profusely, sending them money and gifts after they returned home, and acknowledging those bonds that could not be severed. This is a show of the resilience of the human spirit. It is a show of the connections between people that, once created, are stronger than any circumstances or tragedy. It is a show of the innate kindness that rests in each of us, and when we choose to show it. Come From Away is a heartwarming, beautiful show about how humanity rises to deal with crisis - and the relationships between people that can withstand most anything.