Review: COME FROM AWAY at Keller Auditorium

COME FROM AWAY is back at the Keller as part of its national tour and I know what you may be thinking - in the wake of the pandemic and with all of the other things going on in the world right now, do you really want to see a musical about 9/11? I promise you, the answer is an enthusiastic YES! This beautiful musical, based on the true story of how a small town in Newfoundland opened their doors to 7,000 stranded "plane people" when U.S. airspace was closed following the terrorist attacks, is an antidote to skepticism, nihilism, and loneliness. It's also laugh-out-loud funny.

The town of Gander (population at the time: 9,000) sits in the northeast part of Newfoundland. Gander has a huge airport, because before planes could fly from North America to Europe on one tank of gas, it was used as a refueling stop. The list of politicians and celebrities who at one point touched down in Gander includes the Queen of England, Elizabeth Taylor, and even Fidel Castro (who took the opportunity to go tobogganing).

So, Gander was accustomed to the arrival of foreigners, who they call "come from aways," but certainly not 38 planes full of them. The town sprang into action, organizing accommodations, food, phone calls, and everything else that 7,000 people might need for an unknown period of time. The multi-award-winning musical, by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, tells their story in a way that celebrates extraordinary kindness and the power of human connection during that time of anxiety, confusion, and loss.

COME FROM AWAY does several things extremely well. First, the Irish-influenced music is fantastic - just try not to tap your toes! Second, each member of the 12-person cast plays multiple roles, as both Newfoundlanders and plane people. But even with the large number of characters, they are all authentic, vulnerable humans who it's impossible not to care about. Also, this is truly an ensemble show. There's only one real solo, sung by Marika Aubrey in the role of Beverley Bass, the first female airline pilot on American Airlines (true story). Otherwise, the entire company collaborates on everything, which is exactly right for this story of collective generosity following collective tragedy. And finally, the staging, which uses wooden chairs to create everything from an airplane and a bar to cliffs overlooking the water, is simple yet perfect.

I have now seen COME FROM AWAY three times on stage (there's also an excellent streaming version available on HBO Max), and it hasn't lost its power. In fact, after all we've been through these past few years, I found it even more poignant than before. And I could tell from the audience's reactions that they were just as moved as I was.

If you're looking for a show to lift your spirits this weekend, you could not make a better choice. COME FROM AWAY runs through May 7 at Keller Auditorium. Details and tickets here.

Photo credit: Matthew Murphy

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