Review: COME FROM AWAY at Playhouse On The Square

Musicals about historical events are nothing new. From 1776 to EVITA to HAMILTON, such stories can be enlightening and inspirational. They highlight significant historical moments that many may not have known or appreciated. While entertaining, they remained emotionally and personally distant-until now. Rarely has a musical come along that feels as intimate and life-affirming as COME FROM AWAY does (now onstage at Playhouse on the Square). For anyone old enough to remember September 11, 2001, this is also your story. Under the stellar direction of Daniel Stuart Nelson, this production showcases the best in humanity through the lens of witnessing the worst. It’s a rare musical that feels less like a traditional production and more like masterful storytelling.

As most will recall, the moment the world realized that airplanes were being used as missiles to attack US landmarks, all American airspace was immediately closed. Any plane flying in or out of this country had to be grounded without delay. One airport on the edge of the continent’s airspace was in a small town called Gander which sits on the island of Newfoundland, located at the northeastern tip of Canada. Thirty-eight planes were ordered to land immediately nearly doubling the town’s population in a matter of hours. Where were the passengers supposed to go? How were they going to be fed? What about essentials such as toothpaste, toilet paper, even clothes? It became an unprecedented humanitarian crisis which the local islanders had to unexpectedly face, but came together to meet the challenge.

Although the mixture of music includes Celtic, folk and “traditional Newfoundland music,” by the married Canadian writing team of Irene Sankoff and David Hein, director Nelson has rightly assembled a cast of phenomenal actors over singers. Sure, they can carry a tune, but their true strength lies in their seamless transformation into a wide range of characters from around the globe. They portray a wide array of passengers and townspeople from Gander. Utilizing a range of accents, dialects, postures, gaits, and mannerisms, they present a Master Class on character development that can turn on a dime. The characters created serve as a reminder that although 9/11 was America’s tragedy, it profoundly affected people from every corner of the world.

This is a massively cohesive ensemble working together like clockwork. Everyone manages to nail the unusual Gander dialect (Irish/British influence) intermixed with Southern American, French, African, etc. accents depending on the passenger. They perfectly capture the mass confusion of being stranded on a plane, then suddenly told to wait in the middle of nowhere. Similarly, they are also completely believable as small-town Newfoundlanders living comfortably in their small neck of the woods, carving out a life of their own. Again, master storytellers all around.

Claire D. Kolheim stands out as a mother desperately searching for her firefighter son who hasn’t been heard from since tragedy struck. Her performance embodies the anguish felt by countless New Yorkers searching for loved ones in the aftermath of 9/11. She does her best to put on a brave face as she frantically leaves message after message on his voicemail in the heart-wrenching ballad, “I Am Here.”

Executive Producer Michael Detroit is back on stage (where he’s been greatly missed) portraying Claude, the small town's mayor. Detroit brings a folksy good-natured energy to the role as a man who wants to treat everybody with respect no matter the situation. He contrasts this role with that of an elder townsman who appears to be a connoisseur of all things "spirited." Through both roles, he emobodies the kind of person who'd give you the shirt off their back-even if they didn’t have one.

Perennial favorites Michael Gravois and Kim Justis Eikner come together by happenstance as an older couple (he from England and her from Texas) matched by the misfortune of being stranded in the middle of nowhere. As time passes though, their connection is undeniable, and they can still find beauty in a world full of heartache-a perspective shaped by a lifetime of experience. Their rendition of “Stop the World” is a testament to the gift of wisdom.

It's easy to recognize the losses felt by so many people back in 2001-loss of life, loss of security, loss of innocence, etc.--but other losses may not be as easily recognizable. Haley Wilson powerfully portrays the first female American Airlines pilot grappling with the painful reality that the very thing she loved most--an airplane--was used as a weapon of destruction. It’s a loss and betrayal beautifully captured in “Me and The Sky.”

Is there anyone more prepared to deal with unexpected events than a schoolteacher? They’ve thought of everything and can assemble an army of soldiers in no time flat. As the local teacher, Beulah, Jenny Odle Madden is a highlight personifying the “can do” spirit of Gander. Need something to eat? She’s baked it. Need clothes to wear? She’s got them. Need ‘em? She’s got ‘em (even tampons)! She’s the caretaker (and personality) we all need in a crisis. Odle Madden delivers “service with a smile” to a weary band of travelers, and watching her is pure joy.

Technically, this show is solid. Joshua Crawford’s sound design provides the actors with clear, crisp sound quality. Rachel Lauren offers excellent lighting that helps highlight the drama of the situation enhanced by lighting hues that reflect the emotional tone of each scene. But it’s Adam Spencer’s scenic design that offers the most in the way of symbolism and ambiance. With a skyline reminiscent of the remnants of the World Trade Towers combined with a turntable stage symbolizing both air travel and a world that keeps turning, regardless of circumstance, Spencer provides a space for these storytellers to paint pictures that help fill in the gaps of our collective memory. It’s perfect.

All in all, this is a unique concept for a musical. Everyone who was old enough to remember 9/11 remembers where they were when they heard the news. It was a moment in time that changed the world. Though we may not have been personally stranded in Gander, Newfoundland that fateful day, we felt an impact that will stay with us forever. This cast brilliantly conveys the story of a handful of people who had to struggle yet got to still experience profound kindness.