Review: COME FROM AWAY Ignites Compassion and Unity at the Hobby Center

In over ten years of being in the audience at the Hobby Center, I have never heard applause as loud and abundant as I did at last night's curtain call. It was as if the whole audience agreed not only that we had witnessed something significant, but were acknowledging that we witnessed it together. In seeing COME FROM AWAY there is an otherworldly layer of unity as an audience member, as all of us shared to some extent the story that was being played out onstage.

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But, let me take you back to the beginning. COME FROM AWAY chronicles the lives of the citizens of Gander, Newfoundland on the day of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centers in New York City. Until this show was written, this unbelievable tale of compassion from the horrific day of 9/11 remained untold. In just three hours, the small town of Gander received 38 diverted planes ordered to make emergency landings as the U.S. airspace closed, for the first time in history. Containing 7,000 people from 95 countries from around the world, the "plane people" skyrocketed the population of Gander from 9,000 to 16,000 overnight. COME FROM AWAY is a compilation of the true stories from the 7,000 "come from aways" and the people of Newfoundland, who in the face of great tragedy chose to act with empathy and homegrown hospitality.

COME FROM AWAY presents the question: how does it affect people to go through immense tragedy surrounded only by complete strangers? When 7,000 international individuals showed up on the doorstep of Newfoundland, the people of Gander did what they know best: open the door and invite them in. Realistically speaking, they did a lot more than just invite them in. The citizens rallied together providing clothes, phones, and enough food to feed 7,000 people. So much, in fact, that they closed down the local hockey rink to transform it into a gigantic refridgerator for leftovers. Seriously, you can't make this stuff up. They prepared their schools, community centers, and their own homes for the "come from aways", as one character illustrated in her line "Thank you for shopping at Walmart, would you like to come to my house for a shower?"

Directed by Christopher Ashley and with book, music, and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, COME FROM AWAY is built similar to a documentary, with presentational narrations from the characters as well as representational scenes from the story. This structure provides insight to the characters' inner dialogue and individual perspectives throughout the show.

This truly is a show of dualities. While the circumstances of this story are without a doubt some of the most traumatic moments of our country's history, existing alongside that tragedy is a story of community, compassion, and the simple, sacrificial action of loving your neighbor. There are moments of great joy, and moments of utter silence and shock. There were witty lines that made the audience belly-laugh in unison, and there were times where all I could hear was silent sniffles. The dual nature of this story is most represented in the music, as some songs are performed in a jubilant, upbeat folk style while others are solemn and tense.

Within the first resounding drum beats of the opening number, "Welcome to the Rock", there was great reverence and anticipation settling over the audience. "Prayer" took me to church, quite literally. The cacophony of praise and ritual seemed to soar through the room as a gorgeous representation of the plane people's various religious expressions. Marika Aubrey ignited great applause during "Me and the Sky", as Pilot Beverley Bass sings through her journey of becoming the first female American captain at a time in history when women weren't considered capable of the profession. "Something's Missing" snapshotted the return of the plane people to their homes, and the aftermath that followed. The eerie, sustained harmonies impeccably captured the anxious, lonely experience of processing tragedy. As one of the plane people said upon return home as his family asked if he was okay while stranded in Canada, "How do I tell him that I wasn't just okay--I was so much better".

Kelly Devine enlivened the narration and music with choreography that always kept the cast in motion. Constructed of contemporary movements, the movement was often synchronized and precise, yet fluid. "28 Hours / Wherever We Are", represented the 28 hours that passengers had to remain aboard their planes, and Devine's choregraphy transformed the commonplace actions of being on an airplane (such as adjusting your seat back, shifting to get more comfortable, or folding away your tray table) into a piece of clever and artistic choreography.

The cast of twelve actors onstage portrayed both the "plane people" from 95 countries as well as Newfoundland's townspeople, bus drivers, neighbors, newsreporters--you name it. It takes immense skill to play multiple characters with minimal costume or prop changes, and still be recognizable to the audience just by your physicality, voice, or behavior. I found myself falling in love not only with each and every actor, but with the real-life stories being represented onstage. There was Marika Aubrey, playing the empowered and resilient Captain Beverley Bass. Kevin Carolan stood out as an honest mixture of hometown humor and humble guidance as Mayor Claude. Julie Johnson was warm, loving, and strong as Beulah, the head of Gander Academy. Then of course, there is the real-life Houstonian couple, Diane (Christine Toy Johnson) and Englishman Nick (Chamblee Ferguson), who began their love story during those five days stranded in Newfoundland.

Beowulf Boritt's scenic design is refreshingly minimal, using only tables, chairs, and the occasional signage to transform the stage into whatever the story called for. The line of towering trees outlining the stage served as a frame for the story, reminding me of the remote context of Newfoundland. Howell Binkley had the responsibility of mimicking lighting for all of the wild circumstances of this show, such as car lights beamed toward the people, flimsy airplane lighting, and various spotlights used during narration. Costume Designer Toni-Leslie James created flexible and universal costumes that allowed for the morphing from person to person with a simple prop or piece of clothing.

A remarkable display of true humanity, COME FROM AWAY offers healing, community, celebration, and commemoration all rolled into one rollercoaster of a musical. It is a reminder of the connection that is possible when we place radical acceptance above difference. As former Mayor of Gander, Claude Elliot, expressed during a post-show talk, "On the first day, they were strangers. On the third day, they were friends. And on the fifth day, we said goodbye to 7,000 family members".

Photography Credit: Matthew Murphy

COME FROM AWAY runs at The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts through March 8, 2020. For tickets and more information, visit thehobbycenter.org or broadwayathehobbycenter.com, or call 713-315-2525.

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