Review: COME FROM AWAY at The Seattle Rep

Dear Readers, back in 2015 we were blessed with the masterpiece that is “Come From Away” by Irene Sankoff and David Hein.  It had one of its pre-broadway tryouts at The Seattle Rep and was a huge hit and personally, absolutely wrecked me emotionally.  Now 10 years later this brilliant show is back at the Rep but with a local production as opposed to the Broadway or touring staging.  And while the show still wrecked me and made me leave with a soaked handkerchief, there were some elements that gave me pause.  We’ll get to those.

First off, if you’re not familiar, and you really should be, the show is a musical dramatization of a very true story, as the tiny town of Gander, Newfoundland suddenly found their population almost double overnight as they became hosts to 38 plane loads of people, diverted from their usual routes in the aftermath of 9/11.  Yes, a musical about 9/11, but moreover it’s a musical about the generosity of the people of this town in the shadow of a horrific event.  The people of gander opened their town, their homes, and their hearts to these over 7000 people.  The show focuses on the residents of the town as well as those finding themselves as temporary refugees with the amazing cast of 12 playing multiple roles. 

OK, you’re caught up, and if you’ve seen the Broadway run, the tour, or the filmed version on Apple TV, you know how amazing this show is.  But now, 10 years later, it’s a bit of a different show.  Partially due to the local staging, which we’ll get to, but also viewing this horrible moment in our past in the light of our current social and political climate.  The absolute generosity and also the feeling of “you’d do the same for me” falls a bit harder in our divided society.  I remember back then thinking, “would we do the same?”  And that question rings even louder now.

But let’s discuss this production.  When I say it’s a local production, I mean this is a production that doesn’t necessarily follow the Broadway staging or set and is put up by The Rep with a local cast and with a local director, Brandon Ivie.  Ivie hasn’t strayed from the show, of course, but has added in the element of the actors playing musical instruments along with the six-person band lead by Chris Ranney.  And this was my big qualm with this production.  The performers in this show already have a huge task in front of them with having to sing these heart wrenching songs and convey these heart wrenching moments.  Many moments filled with humor and heart and requiring a connection to each other and to the audience.  But here they chose to put another obstacle for the performers by asking them to tackle the score with guitars, pianos, and even an accordion, all of which got in the way of that connection.  They physically had something in between them and others which translated into an emotional impedance.  It wasn’t always an issue.  When they were in big group numbers, with a more party atmosphere, or when they were in the background of a scene, it was fine and even lent itself to a heightened and richer tone.  But putting those instruments in the way of those more intimate, solo moments such as Merideth Kaye Clark singing Beverley’s “Me and the Sky”, or Corinna Lapid Munter’s killer “I am Here” from her character of Hannah, sapped the power from them.  I especially found issue during “Me and Sky” when Clark was getting to her climatic emotional moment and right then they remove the guitar from her, right in front of her face.  There was one moment where it worked in a solo, with Billy Finn’s “Prayer”. But that was a lone exception where it didn’t feel like the instruments were cumbersome and just plain in the way. 

But even with this obstacle, these incredible performers showed just how amazing they are.  Each and every one of them, Andi Alhadeff, Rob Burgess, Merideth Kaye Clark, Eric Dobson, Lauren Drake, Billy Finn, Richard Gray, Maggie Hollinbeck, Cedric Lamar, Andrew Mayer, Corinna Lapid Munter, and Vickielee Wohlbach, had their moments to shine and shine they did.  Burgess and Wohlbach were adorable as the couple thrown together.  Gray was hilarious in each and every character especially his multiple mayors.  Munter and Clark brought out all the tears with their killer numbers.  And I must go back to Finn with his “Prayer” that blew me away. 

The show felt a bit undercooked, with a technical issue that delayed the show by 30 minutes, mics that cut in and out and struggling with those instruments.  But I’m sure with time they’ll settle in, and even with all that, it was still an incredible show.  And so, with my three-letter rating system, I give The Seattle Rep’s production of “Come From Away” a still wrecked YAY-.  And even with these qualms of mine, I still say this is certainly one not to miss.