Review: COME FROM AWAY at the National Arts Centre

If you never got around to seeing Come From Away when it was previously in Ottawa, consider this a public service announcement to go see this presentation by David and Hannah Mirvish and NAC English Theatre before it takes off on September 1st.

I know it sounds weird: you may ask, “how could they possibly write a musical about the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks?” or “why would I want to go to the theatre to see something depressing?” These are valid questions. To answer the first – just trust me, it is an incredible show that has to be experienced to be believed. The writers (Irene Sankoff and David Hein) interviewed people who lived through the experience and selected several of their stories to include in the musical. In telling these deeply personal stories, the audience gets an understanding of what it must have been like for both the residents of Gander and the surrounding towns, as well as the “plane people” who were diverted there when U.S. airspace shut down in the aftermath of the attacks. These 7,000 unexpected guests virtually doubled the population overnight. The travellers were kept mostly in the dark about the tragedy and were understandably confused, scared, and on edge. The locals stepped up to offer everything and anything their visitors could possibly need so that they could be as comfortable as possible in a helpless situation.

The individual stories range from saccharine to heart wrenching. Hannah (Saccha Dennis) is desperate to have news of her son’s whereabouts. He is a NYC firefighter, and she can’t get ahold of him. She is consoled by Beulah (Lisa Horner), who tries to distract her with terrible jokes. As the first female captain of American Airlines, Beverley (Cailin Stadnyk) sees the freedom and safety she feels in the sky start to slip away, and an industry that will be forever changed. Diane (Barbara Fulton) and Nick (James Kall) have a meet-cute, but they live on different sides of the planet and wonder if their relationship is doomed to fail because of the tragic circumstances that brought them together.

Oz (Cory O’Brien), the local constable, and Claude (David Silvestri), Gander’s mayor, try to maintain a sense of order so things don’t completely fall apart. Ali (Ali Momen), a Muslim passenger, is regarded with fear and racism in light of the terror attacks. Kevin T. (Jeff Madden) and Kevin J. (Ali Momen) see their relationship start to fracture under duress. Bonnie (the musical’s co-creator, Irene Sankoff), a volunteer with the SPCA, is hell bent on finding every animal in the cargo hold of the grounded planes, no matter how big, how small, or how unexpected. Brooklyn-bred Bob (Kyle Brown) just can’t fathom how strangers can be so trusting and generous. Janice (Steffi DiDomenicantonio) is not only new in town, but it’s also her first day on the job at Rogers TV and she been given the story of a lifetime – whether she’s ready or not.

The acting is phenomenal; each cast member pours every ounce of their energy into their performance. The stage is mostly barren, with chairs being swiveled about to serve as airplane seats, pub chairs, bus benches, and pretty much anything else the show requires in the blink of an eye (scenic design by Beowulf Boritt). These transitions are done through shifts of light that make it seem effortless (lighting design by Howell Binkley) and, surprisingly, there is never any confusion even though the same actors portray multiple roles in different settings using the same props.

I have seen this show on three separate occasions, and this is the best production I have seen to date, perhaps due to the more intimate space of the Babs Asper Theatre. Enough said. In response to the second question – yes, you might cry; I would recommend bringing some Kleenex to the theatre. But you will also laugh, you will get the warm fuzzies, and as the band joins the cast on stage at curtain call for one last jig, you will leave the theatre feeling slightly better about humanity in general. So question really isn't "who would want to see a show about 9/11?". When we are talking about Come From Away, the question becomes "who wouldn't?".

Come from Away is on stage through September 1st at the National Arts Centre's Babs Asper Theatre. Click the link below to purchase tickets or click here for more information.

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