Review: COME FROM AWAY at Actors Theatre Of Little Rock

Well, dang it! They got me! They made me cry. I really thought I was going to make it through Actors Theatre of Little Rock’s COME FROM AWAY with my composure intact. I knew the emotional punches that were coming, and I was doing pretty well—right up until Dariane LyJoi Mull’s Hannah called Kelley Ponder’s Beulah. That’s when my eyes filled with tears, and ATLR officially got me.

Playing in the basement of Quapaw United Methodist Church through October 10, COME FROM AWAY is an intimate, immersive experience for a musical centered on people opening their community to strangers. Director Hope Hargrove uses that closeness beautifully, making us feel less like spectators and more like another group of travelers who have somehow landed in Newfoundland. Tickets are selling quickly, so I wouldn't wait too long to make plans.

Before the show even began, I was having a good time. I had First Class seating on the stage near the live band, and for me, it was well worth the extra money. I was only a few feet away from the musicians and even got to chat with them before the performance.

You know I love a live band, and this one definitely added to the vibe.

Conductor Anne Weaver leads from Keys 1 and is joined by Jacob Farrah on guitar and mandolin, Dan Schoultz on bass, Logan Smith on bodhrán and percussion, Lisa Doss on whistle, and Dustin Yoder on fiddle. The mandolin, bodhrán, whistle and fiddle give the score its infectious folk sound, and having these musicians right there made the music feel even more alive.

ATLR starts building the theme before the first note. They announce a boarding schedule, putting us in the mindset that we are passengers preparing for a journey. Even the concessions follow the airline theme with “airplane” food. I received a sampler box with ham, turkey and hummus, and we grabbed cocktails to chase down our snacks. Apparently, this was my kind of flight!

I also never miss ATLR’s specialized Loblolly ice cream. This show’s treat is The Gander Scoop, featuring maple ice cream with Loblolly’s house-made caramel and Arkansas candied pecans. Yes, please!

With book, music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, COME FROM AWAY takes us to Gander, Newfoundland, on September 11, 2001. When American airspace closes following the terrorist attacks, 38 planes carrying nearly 7,000 passengers are diverted to Newfoundland. Local residents scramble to provide food, shelter and necessities while frightened passengers wait for information. Over the following days, strangers form friendships, relationships deepen, and acts of kindness become lifelines.

From the opening number, ATLR establishes exactly what kind of production this will be. I love how “Welcome to the Rock” sets the mood for a cohesive ensemble show. No one person carries this story. Its strength comes from everybody working together.

And boy, can they perform!

Hargrove, assisted by Quinton Sanders, has a company that commits completely to this world. Most play multiple characters, sometimes changing personalities, accents and physicality within seconds right before our eyes. Choreographer Gabrielle Confer takes full advantage of the Quapaw basement because these people dance all over the theatre! They move through and around the audience, and you never know who is suddenly going to dance beside you or say something directly to you.

That immersive energy isn't reserved for First Class, either. No matter where you sit, performers come near you. However, if you enjoy being engulfed in a production the way I do, First Class is worth the extra money. Sitting near the band put me smack dab in the middle of the action.

 Amelia Strickland takes on pilot Beverley Bass. Her big moment comes with “Me and the Sky,” and Strickland beautifully handles the shift from Beverley’s joy in achieving her dream of flying to the heartbreak surrounding September 11.

Angela K. Collier, who also serves as Vocal Captain, plays Bonnie. I love Bonnie’s determination to care for the animals trapped aboard the grounded planes. While everyone is focused on thousands of displaced people, Bonnie remembers there are animals needing help too, giving Collier both funny and touching moments as she bonds with her new animal friends.

Michael Harmon’s Nick and Jenny Moses’ Diane have an easy chemistry as two passengers who unexpectedly find companionship amid the chaos, while Patricia Loera embraces the frazzled energy of Janice, a new reporter suddenly covering an enormous international story.

Willie Lucius brings such wonderful energy to Bob. He is so full of life and personality that my eyes naturally followed him whenever he came near my section. He embraces the audience interaction and adds tremendously to the communal feeling Hargrove is creating.

Little did I know Willie had a special assignment for me later.

Shawn O’Brien definitely gives off that “mayor in charge” energy as Claude. He has the presence of someone everyone naturally looks toward for direction. O’Brien carries that authority while keeping Claude warm and approachable. You believe this is his town, and he is ready to get everybody organized.

Steven Jones brings plenty of personality to Oz, but I was especially touched by him as the Rabbi. Jones brings such gentleness and sincerity to those moments. His quiet warmth reminds us that these passengers arrived with different faiths and traditions and were searching for comfort as they tried to process what was happening.

Jacob Rivera plays Kevin J, but his portrayal of Ali also touches my heart. Ali is a Muslim passenger stranded in an unfamiliar place at a time when fear and suspicion are running incredibly high. Rivera handles those scenes with sensitivity. Ali is experiencing the same uncertainty as everyone else, yet he also has to deal with how others react to him. Rivera makes us feel the human being underneath that suspicion.

Rivera’s Kevin J and Thomas Williams’ Kevin T offer another perspective on being stranded somewhere unfamiliar. The actors balance the humor in their relationship with their concern over how comfortable they can be as themselves in an unknown place. Their interaction during their double date with Nick and Diane was especially fun, with the awkwardness, little reactions and differences between the two couples creating plenty of laughs. 

Then there are Dariane LyJoi Mull’s Hannah and Kelley Ponder’s Beulah.

Hannah desperately tries to reach her firefighter son in New York, and Mull carries that fear even while the show races around her. Ponder’s Beulah recognizes that Hannah needs someone, and a friendship develops between them.

I kept my composure through everything that came before it.

Then Dariane’s Hannah calls Kelley’s Beulah.

That was it.

Beulah cannot fix what Hannah is going through or give her the answers she desperately wants. What she can do is answer the phone, listen and be there. Mull and Ponder made that exchange feel so personal that I was invested in these women who had found each other during an unimaginable situation, and the tears came.

Thankfully, COME FROM AWAY doesn't leave us crying all night. This show is funny, too!

 And, of course, there is the cod.

The famous Screech In sequence celebrates strangers becoming honorary Newfoundlanders, but ATLR takes it further by bringing audience members into the festivities, and the dashing Willie with the contagious smile talked Me and my daughter Emma into it.

To earn our Newfoundlander status, we had to drink a shot of “whiskey” and—yes—kiss the fish! Once Willie recruited us, Emma and I fully committed, and we had a blast. Immersive theatre is my favorite form of theatre! 

Music Director Nick Farr and the live band keep the score driving forward, while the creative team makes this fast-moving musical work impressively within an unconventional space. Mull doubles as Scenic Designer, with Angelino Juario as Technical Director, Ren Gudino as Props Designer, Dani Carney as Costume, Hair and Makeup Designer, Lela Belleton as Associate Costume, Hair and Makeup Designer, Sid McGough as Lighting Designer, Greg Warner as Sound Designer, and Jeran Colle and Carney as Scenic Charge Artists. Stage management is handled by AB Dickson, Kekoa How and Quinn Darnold. Photo Credit goes to Eric White Photography, who has captured the essence of this show perfectly.

 The production is also supported by Farr as Bob standby; Mandy Warford as Diane standby and Dance Captain; Sanders as Kevin J standby; and swings Jess Crook, Connor North Goad, Jayla Lee and Peter Sturdevant, who will get to shine during the matinees on October 3rd and 10th. I may try to sneak back in on the 10th to see this cast if there are any seats left by then. 

Actors Theatre of Little Rock’s COME FROM AWAY continues in the basement of Quapaw United Methodist Church through October 10. Tickets are selling quickly, so don't wait until the last minute to get your boarding pass.

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