Review: COME FROM AWAY at Theatre Under The Stars Reflects on the Wonders of Humanity in the Face of Tragedy

"You are here, at the start of a moment, on the edge of the world, where the river meets the sea...."

They call Gander, Canada "The Rock." However, they should really call not only Gander but the musical, Come From Away, a gem, as it is one of the rare musicals that not only is entertaining but also a brilliant reminder of the beauty of humanity.

Come From Away begins on the tragic day of September 11th, 2001. For many, this is the first national tragedy that Americans will have experienced in their lifetime. A common ice-breaker question in the 21st century is "Where were you on September 11th?" While there have been many documentaries, comedies, and other dramatic interpretations of that day, Come From Away steers away from traditional narratives and instead focuses on the people and emotions of another community impacted by the terrorist attacks. The town of Gander in Newfoundland, Canada is a small and remote town with a formerly large airport. When the towers struck the Twin Towers the air traffic around the United States was shut down and over 7,000 people found themselves in the land of moose, untouched forests, and a group of Canadians who would pull together to make those stranded feel at home. This focus on the Canadian town, with brilliant music, lyrics and book by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, illuminates this ensemble piece into great night at the theatre.

The stories that Sankoff and Hein illustrate for the audience are deeply emotional, yet still comedic. For example, the story of Bonnie, expertly played by Sharone Sayegh, a veterinarian of Canada's SPCA, who is simply trying to take care of not only cats and dogs but also rare animals. The story of the British Nick (Chamblee Ferguson) and Texan Diane (Christine Toy Johnson) finding serendipitously love on that fateful day is one for the ages. (I highly encourage you to google their love story after the show, I did and you will not be disappointed!)

The entire evening is also a masterclass in how to write an ensemble piece. Normally, at this point, I would illuminate the standout actors and performances of the evening, but I can't. The reason for this conundrum is that the entire cast and musicians are absolutely amazing. Come From Away is a show that can-and does-inspire multiple generations of people. For the millennials and Gen Z'ers of the world, Nick Duckarts portrayal of Kevin J. is one for the ages and brilliantly performs the anxiety of being a gay man stuck in this situation. There are many quotable moments from the character and a simple Twitter search of them produces oft-repeated quotes for the ages. Especially for my parents who are in the Baby Boomer bracket, they found inspiration in the portrayal of the the Mayor of Gander, Claude, brilliantly played by Kevin Carolan. His portrayal of an older gentleman trying to do his best not only for his community, but to total strangers, is a powerful sight to see.

While Houston is coming out of its Hamil-craze, Come From Away from TUTS is the perfect musical to witness and a palate cleanser for our city's audiences. There maybe those that are sad to have missed the rapping founding fathers, but I can't emphasize enough that Come From Away will not only be a great show for everyone but one that will leave a lasting impression.

Come From Away is produced by Theater Under the Stars and will be running at the Hobby Center of the Performing Arts until Sunday, April 3rd. Performances are Tuesday thru Thursday at 7:30 pm, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 pm. There are matinee performances at 2:30pm on Saturday and Sundays. For tickets please visit https://www.tuts.com/tickets/shows or the Box Office at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts at 800 Bagby St. Please note, while COVID Vaccination cards or COVID tests are NOT a requirement at the moment, audiences must wear masks the entire time in both the lobby and theater.

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