Every time I see the 2017 Tony-nominated* musical
Come From Away, I love it even more. I saw it for the 5th time last night, and its themes affected me even more deeply now in this time we're living in. A time when the ideals that many of us hold dear - compassion, empathy, kindness, equality, justice - are being attacked, ideals that are so beautifully expressed in this one-of-a-kind musical. As I wrote when the tour came through the Ordway last summer,
Come From Away is "the perfect marriage of music, text, and performance, brilliantly constructed into 100 solid minutes of constant storytelling, flowing from music to dialogue and back again, with only two applause breaks to break the spell. And the story it tells is remarkable: the heart-warming true story of how the people of Gander, Newfoundland welcomed 7000 strangers when their planes were diverted there on 9/11. Canadian married couple Irene Sankoff and David Hein (
and producer Michael Rubinoff) have woven the true stories from dozens of people who were there, gathered at the 10th anniversary in Gander. Now, past the 20th anniversary of the unfathomably horrific events of that day, and the extraordinary actions of ordinary humans in its wake, this musical continues to be necessary. It reminds us that despite what we see on the news every day, the human capacity for good knows no bounds, if only we could remember that we all have the same wants and needs, and helping each other is the only way through." These words that I wrote nine eventful months ago strike an even deeper chord now. If you need to be reminded of the good in humanity, do not miss
Come From Away,
which is only here through Saturday! Keep reading for
my review of last year's tour, with a few updates.
