When the planes flew into the World Trade Center, we did not/could not look past New York City for a long time. But the truth be told, there were numerous stories stemming from the residual impact of that searing, impossible-to-forget event.
Searing it might have been, but soaring it became after Michael Rubinoff, a Toronto lawyer (yes, this is a Canadian production), theatre producer and associate dean of Visual and Performing Arts at Sheridan College in Oakville, first hatched the idea for Come from Away.
His inspiration came from Operation Yellow Ribbon, a plan instituted by the Canadian government to protect American airspace after 9/11 by diverting planes to Canada, grounding them and investigating them, thus averting any more potential disasters.
It was a massive operation because 500 or so flights were on their way to the United States. Canada accepted 238 of them. Come from Away focused on the 38 that landed in Gander, Newfoundland, a town and surrounding area of about 7,000. But the planes carried an equal number of passengers.
So the musical concentrates there, with a “Titanic” level of stories available, interwoven dramatically, comically and literally (many of the character names remain the same as the real people). It won the 2017 Tony Award for Best Direction (Christopher Ashley), a certain lock as the audience navigates all the puzzle pieces with the aid of only chairs and jacket/hat changes in a remarkable ensemble cast of 12(!). Keep in mind that it was up against eventual winner Dear Evan Hansen, which barrels into Pittsburgh in May (lucky us!).
What seems like a daunting task for the audience becomes clearer and clearer, almost seducing the audience with its emotional, yet sporadically comical output.
Credit also goes to the seamless integration of Kelly Devine’s choreography, although she is listed under Musical Staging. Deceptively simple, the cast negotiates the folk-like appeal of the movement, keeping the energy supple and ongoing.
They prance and dance and shift on a single set. At first it’s quizzical, with bare trees, some splintered, and the ever-present chairs and a small interactive ensemble hidden at the base of their trunks. Lighting designer Howell Binkley imaginatively plays with Beowulf Boritt’s scenic design, especially the textured back wall with slits like the lights on an airport runway.
Minimalist, to be sure, but epic in so many ways.
And when it all ends, the audience has done a deep dive into this story of stories. It reminds us of a difficult time, to be sure. But in our current difficult times, it also reminds us of our own resilience, how we can overcome.
As a result, the audience rose in a unison wave of heartfelt applause, so unlike any other I have experienced and so well-deserved.
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