Review: COME FROM AWAY at Château De Karreveld

After having treated us since 2015 to high-caliber French versions of classic musicals, such as The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, and last year West Side Story, Festival Bruxellons! presents Come From Away, their first venture into contemporary Broadway both in form and content. Despite successful pre-Broadway runs in Seattle and San Diego in 2015, Washington D.C. and Toronto in 2016, 1,669 performances in New York from 2017 to 2022 (where it garnered multiple Tony nominations and a win for Best Direction for Christopher Ashley), a pre-West End run in Dublin in 2018, and 1,048 performances at The Phoenix Theatre in London, this one-of-a-kind musical was also a gamble for the festival, as it is still relatively unknown in Europe. 

Based on inspiring true events that showcase human kindness and the strength of community in the face of adversity, a situation even more relevant to our troubled world of today with the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, Come From Away begins on September 11, 2001, when the world watched in horror as terrorist attacks unfolded in New York City. The subsequent closure of U.S. airspace forced 38 planes to divert to Gander, a small town in Newfoundland with a population of just 10,000. Faced with an unexpected influx of over 7,000 stranded passengers, the residents of Gander opened their homes, schools, and community centers, offering food, shelter, and unwavering support. 

Come From Away—a rare phenomenon, a completely original musical not based on a famous movie!—touchingly captures this extraordinary encounter with appropriately minimalist staging: tables and chairs represent the various locations, thereby allowing the play's focus to remain on the emotions of the characters.  Under the skillful direction of Anne Mie Gils, a renowned Belgian actress and singer, and Jack Cooper, a recognized director and choreographer known for his innovative approach, the story comes to life with simplicity, yet depth. The music, composed by the talented team of Irene Sankoff, David Hein, and Bo Waterschoot, is a powerful blend of traditional musical theatre styles and Newfoundland orchestrations, with Bo Waterschoot's musical direction finely tuning its execution to make for a real tear jerker. 

The cast delivers exceptional performances, embodying both the Gander residents and the plane passengers with sincerity and humanity. Margaux Maillet (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer) as Diane, Terja Diava (The Lion King at Mogador) as Hannah, newcomer Aaricia Dubois as Janice, Virginie Perrier (Diana lead in Next to Normal in Brussels, also directed by fellow actor Damien Locqueneux, playing Kevin T. here) as Beulah, Jolijn Antonissen (Bruxellons! regular) as Bonnie, the showstopping Marion Preite (Next Thing You Know in Paris) as Beverley, Loïc Suberville (Jean Valjean in Les Miz at Cours Florent) as Oz, Loaï Rahman (The Producers at Théâtre de Paris and Bernardo last year in West Side Story at Bruxellons!) as Kevin J., Janis Palu (Le Soldat rose) as Bob, Franck Labbé (Fiddler on the Roof at Labopéra) as Claude, and Arnaud Masclet (Spamalot at Théâtre and the forthcoming Les Miz at Châtelet) as Nick mesh together perfectly, creating a sense of newfound unity among strangers thrown together in the most tragically unexpected of circumstances. 

A dedicated crew, including resident choreographer Kylian Campbell (Sunset Boulevard, My Fair Lady, Blood Brothers, and Elisabeth), scenographer Dimitri Shumelinsky, costume designer Béatrice Guilleaume, lighting designer Laurent Kaye, and sound engineers Vincent Debongnies, Simon Defrenne, and Eric Loots, add to the production's elegant brilliance. 

The music is performed by a talented orchestra, including Waterschoot doubling on the bass guitar, Anne Wolf on piano, flutists Remi Decker and Raphaël De Cock, Lorcan Fahy on the violin, Téo Crommen on the guitar, Jonathan Bruyninx on the mandolin and bouzouki, Stephan Pougin on percussion, and Thierry Gutmann on the drums; their expert musicianship creates a unique and powerful outdoor soundscape that perfectly complements the narrative on the Château du Karreveld’s open-air stage. 

Come From Away, as perfectly translated into French by Stéphane Laporte (Fiddler on the Roof, My Fair Lady, and West Side Story), is more than just a musical; it's a celebration of human kindness, resilience, and the power of community, reminding us of our capacity for compassion and connection even in the darkest times. Don't miss this opportunity to experience a remarkable production in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean—be prepared to be uplifted and inspired, but don’t forget your hankies.   

Thanks for the bold choices and excellence in production to the festival’s team of Jack Cooper and Moerens, now deservedly supported by the city of Brussels.  They are always bound to surprise us; long live Bruxellons!

To post a comment, you must register and login.