Review: Human Connection and Unbridled Generosity in COME FROM AWAY

Singapore — “Tonight we honour what was lost, but we also commemorate what we found.” This lyric is a succinct description of Pangdemonium’s beautiful final production. The musical Come From Away gives audiences a much-needed dose of optimism as it highlights the connection, kindness, and joy that was found amidst the 9/11 tragedy.

Come From Away is set during the events of 9/11, focusing on the 38 planes whose flights were diverted into Gander as the North American airspace was closed indefinitely. During a sudden and terrible tragedy, a city of about 9,000 people had to figure out how to receive 7,000 stranded passengers. The show truthfully portrays the heaviness associated with this tragedy — grief, fear, racism. It however goes beyond that, it shows us how a group of people galvanised their community to help 7,000 strangers.

On the 10th anniversary of 9/11, writers and composers Irene Sankoff and David Hein came to Gander, Newfoundland. They interviewed so many people to hear their stories from those few days. They poured in these real experiences with such care into the musical Come From Away. 

Sankoff and Hein’s musical opened on Broadway in 2017 and was loved by critics and fans alike. In an extremely tough season competing with Dear Evan Hansen, they still walked away with 7 Tony Award nominations and won the award for Best Direction. The show recouped on Broadway, an extremely rare feat, in merely 8 months. The musical later opened in the West End in 2019 and won 4 Olivier Awards including for Best New Musical. The show garnered an incredibly devoted following. To preserve this piece, during the Broadway shutdown, the Broadway cast was brought back into the theatre to film the musical and it was released on the 20th anniversary of 9/11. In Singapore this professionally filmed version continues to be available on Apple TV.

The beloved musical makes its Singapore premiere in this non-replica production helmed by director Timothy Koh, and the show is as fun, joyful, and heartwarming as ever. 

We watch the Newfoundlanders show extreme generosity and warmth to total strangers who were stranded in their towns. Buying so much food and supplies to meet all their possible needs, taking them into their homes, and even helping these strangers “steal” their own barbeques from their backyards. Through this experience, they welcome these new friends into their community, they were now Newfoundlanders. They were inducted through a very endearing sequence at the bar in “Screech In” involving kissing a cod (or an Englishman).  

The music and lyrics by Sankoff and Hein, under music direction by Joanne Ho, orchestrations by August Eriksmoen, arrangements by Ian Eisendrath, offer both humour and celebration while also inducing emotionally-stirring moments. The sound of this show feels warm, rhythmic and folksy. The score often features many members of the cast singing at once, offering gorgeous, addicting harmonies, with a highlight being the song “Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere” as they leave Gander, singing: “you found your heart but left a part of you behind.” 

The characters in this world, while being situated halfway across the world, feel very familiar. A parent being sent on a vacation by their grown-up kid, a middle-aged guy on a work trip to attend a conference, a young and driven reporter having her first day on the job — these are people we know, these are people we have once been. Because this musical was written on real stories of real people, it feels incredibly accessible for us in the audience. The concerns these people have are ones we can relate to. This makes their generosity hit so hard. You do not need to be an extraordinary special person to make a difference in the lives of others. Ordinary people are capable of extraordinary displays of kindness that can create such an impact. 

The audience is able to have each experience resonate with them thanks to Sankoff and Hein’s fantastic work in weaving together these stories and this production’s seamless storytelling. There is a huge list of characters involved in this story, yet they were played only by a 12 person cast. Each actor swiftly switched characters by adding or removing a jacket, overshirt or vest, accompanied by a different accent and physicality. This means each actor has at least 3 different characters they're juggling between. The cast skilfully takes on this gargantuan task. Each switch was extremely clear, the wide variety of accents were done well, making the massive story very easy to follow.  

Similarly, changes in location were conveyed merely with rearranging chairs and portable spherical lights. This show heavily relies on what can only be described as elaborate “chair-ography” as we shift settings from a plane, to an air traffic control center, to a local school. While the chairs have long been part of the bones of Come From Away, the chairs in this production are particularly special as they are taken from past Pangdemonium productions, adding a sentimentality to this simple piece of furniture. 

The set felt full yet appropriately simple. The star of this musical is the story, and the set let the story shine while supporting it. Visually, it starred wood-heavy platforms set against a blue sky backdrop. The different levels were used well to create different spaces. The main tall platform also had built-in compartments allowing the cast to quickly obtain props. Above the platform featured a red sign with clocks of many different time zones that you might see at an airport, with the iconic words “you are here” lit up above it.

At its core, this musical is a story of human connection during tragedy. Everyone was from extremely different backgrounds, all stranded in one town. They shared many differences, yet they found commonalities that bonded them — shared religion, stupid jokes, and a lot of booze. 

The relationships that formed were the most moving part of the show. One of these relationships is the budding romance between a British man on a business trip, Nick (Gavin Leahy, who also doubles as the production’s accent consultant) and Texan mom Diane (Inch Chua). The two met while they were stuck on the same plane. Leahy and Chua were both extremely charming as their characters built chemistry through endearingly awkward banter. This all culminates in the song “Stop The World” as they stand at a lookout at Dover Fault.

The original direction of this number involved other cast members moving chairs that Nick and Diane stood on, aided by a turntable on stage. Koh’s direction of this number was a stroke of brilliance. As is true for the rest of the show, the direction keeps the bones of Come From Away while putting a new, inventive spin on it. Nick and Diane stood on two repurposed tables and cast members pushed these tables together and apart as they sang about continents colliding. This direction served to highlight how this tragedy caused their worlds to collide and brought them together. The direction and Leahy and Chua’s performances elevated this sweet song into an unforgettable number. 

Another important relationship was between American mother Hannah (Candice de Rozario) and Newfoundlander mother Beulah (Sheila Francisco). Hannah’s son is a firefighter in New York and she is desperately trying to find out if he is alive. Beulah’s son is also a firefighter, and though he wasn't in New York, Beulah sympathises with the kind of worry Hannah must be facing and keeps her company and comfort. While she cannot help Hannah get news sooner or keep her son safe, Beulah did what was in her control: telling stupid jokes. It is a very bittersweet portrayal of how tragedy can leave people feeling powerless, but we find little ways to give some reprieve, comfort and company to those who need it.

Other highlights amongst the cast of this show include Lim Yu-Beng as Claude, the mayor of Gander. He deftly balances the authority and lovability of the mayor representing the world of Gander. Rebekah Sangeetha Dorai was hilarious as Annette and self-assured as pilot Beverly Bass. Nadya Zaheer plays Janice, a new reporter thrust into covering this entire saga. Zaheer plays her as so lovably green and eager to do a good job. 

Victoria Mintey is so consistently funny as Bonnie, an SPCA worker in Gander who is passionately concerned about the animals stuck on the planes. While her deep concern earlier in the show elicits laughter, there is a fascinating switch towards the end of the show, where suddenly this act of empathy towards the monkey is taken by the audience so earnestly, sincerely, and somberly. This moment was truly a standout, unexpected tearjerker, handled extremely skilfully by Mintey.

Dwayne Lau plays a muslim passenger Ali. 9/11 caused a rise in Islamophobia, and Come From Away does not shy away from showing this. Ali was racially profiled and strip-searched, with captain Beverly Bass standing by and watching it happen. The whole scene feels invasive and violating. Afterwards, Bass extends an apology to Ali, but it feels absolutely insufficient. 

During the gala night the sound mixing occasionally drowned out some of the cast, as the band was too loud compared to the casts’ mics, and there were mic issues that caused some important lines to be dropped. As this was only their second-ever performance, hopefully by now these issues are already fixed.

Come From Away promises a night of celebrating human kindness and community. If you want catharsis, joy, or if you just want to regain your hope in humanity, come down to Victoria Theatre. Just be ready to leave singing “I’m an Islander.”

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