Although the subject matter of Come From Away deals directly with the tragic events of 9/11 and its aftermath, the musical tone of Come From Away is more celebratory than you might initially expect. Tony Award-nominated writers Irene Sankoff and David Hein showcase the mighty resilience of the human spirit and how we selflessly and instinctively come together as a community in times of crisis. The score, heavily influenced by Canadian folk music, exemplifies the tone of camaraderie and optimism and perfectly complements the show's running themes.
Come From Away quickly became a runaway hit on 2017 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. It was a top contender in the award seasons, earning seven Tony nominations and winning Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards.
Mixing together modest set pieces with great creative ideas and the audience's capacity for imagination, Come From Away transports us almost seamlessly from the inside of an airplane to the inside of a school gymnasium in the blink of an eye. Coupled with unique choreography by Kelly Devine, Come From Away is a living, breathing, organic piece of theatre about what happens to ordinary people when faced with extraordinary circumstances.
Original cast member Jenn Colella earned a Tony nomination for her portrayals of Annette and flight captain Beverley Bass, but the musical is truly an ensemble piece at its heart. The cast all take on multiple roles to tell this microcosm of a story that affected thousands in Gander, Newfoundland. Through subtle changes of costume, physicality or voice, we fully accept the scale of the events, despite the limited number of the cast itself.
The previous Come From Away cast included Petrina Bromley (as Bonnie & Others), De'Lon Grant (as Bob & Others), Rachel Tucker (as Beverley, Annette & Others), Joel Hatch (as Claude & Others), Chad Kimball (as Kevin T., Garth & Others), Kenita R. Miller (as Hannah & Others), Caesar Samayoa (as Kevin J., Ali & Others), Emily Walton (as Janice & Others), Jim Walton (as Nick, Doug & Others), Sharon Wheatley (as Diane & Others), Paul Whitty (as Oz & Others), and Astrid Van Wieren (as Beulah & Others).
A Come From Away film will be released on Apple TV+ on September 10. Find out more about the Come From Away film here.
All audience members are guaranteed to be moved by Come From Away, a modern saga of our times.
(Photos by Matthew Murphy)
