War, mass shootings, transphobia, book banning, persistent antisemitism. We're bombarded by daily horrors, desensitizing us to brutality and injustices. Thankfully, we have a brief but joyous respite in the touring production of Irene Sankoff and David Hein's Come From Away, a bright shining declaration of generosity, compassion, self-sacrifice, and hope. Born from the tragedy of 9/11, the story of the town of Gandar Newfoundland and how it treated 7,000 stranded world travelers is nothing short of inspiring, reigniting out faith in humanity.
With just a few chairs, Tony winning director Christopher Ashley has created one of the most thrilling staged shows I've seen. The remarkable twelve-member cast maneuver the chairs simulating the cabins of the planes forced to land at a remote airfield post 9/11. Those chaise then become buses transporting frightened and disoriented travelers to various accommodations. Combined with musical staging by two-time Tony Award nominee Kelly Devine, the fast-moving production explodes with dynamic energy.
The ensemble shifts characters on the fly, switching between travelers to townsfolk with simple effects like a new coat, eyeglasses, hats, and vocal inflections (kudos to dialect coach Joel Goldes). Come From Away is a whirlwind of emotional arcs as the characters react to the extraordinary circumstances - emotions ranging from a Muslims fear of ostracization, an African Americans joy at being unafraid racially for the first time, to a shy couple discovering romance amongst the chaos.
Irene Sankoff & David Hein's non-traditional sing song score embodies the spirit of the people singing. "Welcome to the Rock" details where everyone was when 9/11 happened and their immediate reaction to the arrival of the re-routed planes "38 Planes". The heartbreaking call of a mother to her missing NYC firefighter son in "I'm Am Here," and the first American Airlines female pilot singing of her love for flying in "Me and the Sky" are touching and universal. Standout performances abound and are so natural that we easily empathize which each character stretched to overachieve and perform in astonishing style.
The band is another character in CFA, conducted by Cameron Moncur. Using fiddles, whistles, accordion and bouzouki, the music soars matching the joy created by the generous townsfolk and the bond they've forged with total strangers in need. 9/11 caused massive shifts in our psyche, with travel restrictions, newfound fears of terrorism and eventual Muslim bans. But Come From Away shows us the flip side - a resiliency and optimism that shines through every moment of this stunning production.
Come From Away continues through April 23rd. Tix available at https://www.broadwaysf.org or by calling (888) 746-1799.
Photo credit: Matthew Murphy
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