BWW Exclusive: Making the Music of COME FROM AWAY

Romano Di Nillo- Percussion

How does your experience at Come From Away differ from past experiences?

It's wonderful to be in a story-driven musical that isn't dependent on big theatrics, elaborate costumes and star principals. Those are great aspects of musical theatre, but it's refreshing to tell a true story that has a large impact without the frills. It is a study in great storytelling.

What's the most interesting on-stage moment that's happened so far?

Once an audience member who had been a plane passenger in Gander at the time was so affected by the show that he tried to jump on the stage to address us and the audience to announce his appreciation. It was a wonderful sentiment with questionable judgment. Now we have wonderful ushers to help stop that. It's nice to see that kind of zealous reaction to our show night after night. It truly changes people and I'm honored to be a part of that positive change.

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Caitlin Warbelow- Violin and Fiddle

What do you do in the Come From Away band?

I play the violin and the fiddle! If you're wondering what the difference is between the two, the answer is that "violin" generally refers to classical music and related genres, while "fiddle" refers to traditional genres of various sorts. They are played on the same instrument, but require very different training and skills. I was lucky to have a mom who encouraged me to pursue both, which I am very grateful for! The violin/fiddle chair in CFA is about half violin, half fiddle.

Did this particular Newfoundland style of music change your typical experience?

Because I already played both violin and fiddle, this show was right up my alley! Though I specialize in Irish traditional music on the fiddle side, the Newfoundland fiddle style is within the same general genre of "Celtic" music, and so the show was a perfect fit for me.

How many shows have you performed with Come From Away?

Oh man... I've lost count! Between all the out of town runs (Seattle, DC, Toronto, and Gander) and all the run-throughs during rehearsal, it must be somewhere around 1200 by now.

How does your experience at Come From Away differ from past experiences?

Well, there's nothing quite the same as doing a show over a thousand times! Though I've played and toured with other stage shows, this is the first one I've played that has gone this long. It's hard to describe what that feels like. On my side of the stage (which we call "the treehouse") us band members have really become a little family. We have little jokes we play on each other, and we know immediately when one of us has played one wrong note! In my life before CFA, I did quite a bit more teaching and touring than I do now, but I still get to leave the town for various festivals and to go back home to Alaska. I've also gotten involved in various industry causes, which has been educational and fulfilling. Altogether, I have enjoyed my experience with CFA very much and am glad to be a part of it.

Tell us about your pre-show rituals.

I'm always in such a rush trying to get a million things done before the show... I don't really have any pre-show rituals besides doing makeup, putting my hair up, and getting my costume on (which consists of some really comfortable jeans and a Grateful Dead t-shirt). I suppose my ritual is that I try to get all my emails replied to before going onstage! (Though I rarely accomplish this.) I used to grab a little chocolate candy from our dresser's station on the way down the stairs to the stairs...but I'm doing the Keto diet right now so that's off limits for the moment. Sadness.

What does it feel like to be actually a part of this show (on stage and interacting with the cast)?

It feels REALLY AMAZING! I'm someone who doesn't do well with routine...so being onstage is great because the it gives us musicians a chance to interact with both the actors and the audience. I've subbed in other Broadway shows where the musicians and actors didn't really interact... that is NOT the case on this show! We are a big family at CFA and live our lives with each other. It's also very cool to be able to see the standby actors when they go on, to see how they interpret the parts, and to have some variety from night to night. We also just love playing the exit music. I always pick a few people to make eye contact with in the first row, which is a really special moment.

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Carl Carter- Acoustic bass and Electric bass

What was it like learning this Newfoundland style of music?

Learning the Newfoundland style of music was an amazing experience! Surprisingly, it felt very natural playing it. I worked very closely with our conductor and music supervisor Ian Eisendrath and our Orchestrator August Eriksmoen to make sure I was playing the music correctly.

How many shows have you performed with Come From Away?

I think I'm up to around 850 shows so far.

How does your experience at Come From Away different from past experiences?

For me, the message of the show is the biggest difference. Being kind and paying it forward are messages of the show. Playing COME FROM AWAY, I'm reminded of this everyday. The cast, band and crew hang out all the time and there's a real sense of community which is exactly what COME FROM AWAY is about!

Tell us about your pre-show rituals.

I commute from Connecticut so I leave quite early. I normally get to the theatre an hour and a half before downbeat. I take my basses to the stage, plug them in and tune them. After that, I may have my dinner. After that, I change into my costume and almost always share laughs with my band mates! About ten minutes before we start I do a few stretching exercises and then, it's show time!

What does it feel like to be actually a part of this show (on stage and interacting with the cast)?

It's really a dream come true playing for COME FROM AWAY! As I stated earlier, there's a real sense of community on and off stage. The band and cast have so many little moments on stage during the show ranging from saying a quick 'HELLO' to try and make each other laugh! It's great that I can look into the audience and see how the show is affecting people in real-time. Witnessing the joy, the tears, and everything in between is PRICELESS! During the playoff, the band comes out on stage and it suddenly turns into a concert! People are on their feet cheering, many of them with tears in their eyes, releasing all the emotions that have been built up during the show. It's a very cathartic moment!

COME FROM AWAY tells the remarkable true story of 7,000 stranded passengers and the small town in Newfoundland that welcomed them. Cultures clashed and nerves ran high, but uneasiness turned into trust, music soared into the night, and gratitude grew into enduring friendships. On September 11, 2001 the world stopped. On September 12, their stories moved us all.

For additional information, visit: https://comefromaway.com