by Charlene Baldridge
Word gets around: “Come From Away,” the new musical at La Jolla Playhouse, was extended twice before it had a chance to fully open in previews. Having officially opened June 11 under the direction of Artistic Director Christopher Ashley, it now continues through July 12 in the Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre.
We meet two sets of people in Irene Sankoff and David Hein’s “Come From Away” — the inhabitants of Gander, Newfoundland, and “the plane people,” who came from away, having been stranded mid-air on 9/11.
When terrorists hit and destroyed the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City that day, American airspace was closed and planes around the world were ordered to land and stay until further notice. Thirty-eight international flights landed in Gander, and for five days the local inhabitants, who had long ago staffed a major refueling hub, hosted 7,000 people, providing whatever they needed. 9/11 changed our lives forever, but none more so than those of the hosts and the stranded.
From the opening chord of “You Are Here,” the husband-and-wife team of Sankoff and Hein, who wrote the book, lyrics and music, sweep onlookers through 14 songs into the suspenseful saga, telling of those who opened their hearts and homes and those bedraggled souls who received kindness, bounty and the courage to move on in a world forever changed. There is no doubt at any given moment which set of folks is center stage — they all are, whether playing Newfoundlanders or the stranded multitudes (there’s also an authentic eight-member orchestra on ethnic instruments such as Uilleann pipes, Irish flute and Bodhran). The 12-person acting/singing ensemble accomplishes multitudes with mere shifts in attitude.
The piece is filled with joy — musically and physically, set afire with skilled acting, superb direction, and a rollicking, unique music descended from the Celts and refined by generations who survived long winters on spirits, dance and song — and don’t forget “screech-ins” with the cod.
The storytelling, the story, the music and the warmth never stop as we become inured with painful unknowing. There is never a maudlin moment despite the pain, despite the pathos — the work is simply awesome in every good and deep sense of the word. Not since “Memphis,” “Thoroughly Modern Millie” and “Jersey Boys” has a musical been so indelibly inscribed “hit.”
The ensemble comprises Patrina Bromley, Geno Carr, Jenn Colella, Chad Kimball, Joel Hatch, Rodney Hicks, Lee MacDougall, Allison Spratt Pearce, Caesar Samoya, Q. Smith, Astrid Van Wieran and Sharon Wheatley. Each creates an array of characters, none so endearing as the elder Englishman (MacDougall) who falls in love with a woman from Texas (Wheatley). Or a New York couple (Kimball and Samoya), both named Colin. Or the American Airlines captain (Colella), who fought so hard to become what she is and still managed to raise a family simultaneously. Gloriously, Joel Hatch sings and acts the heck out of Gander’s warm and forceful mayor, and Geno Carr creates numerous distinct characters.
The whole evening — beautifully created by Sankoff and Hein — moves so swiftly and smoothly in one act with no interval. One is hardly aware that the actors, their airline seats, all the accouterments brought to bear, and even the band sometimes travel on scenic designer Boewulf Boritt’s turntable and populate his set, which evokes the watery landscape of desolation. Toni-Leslie James is costume designer; Howard Binkley, the genius lighting designer; and Gareth Owen, the sound designer who is ever supportive. Towering over all are August Erikson’s orchestrations, Ian Eisencrath’s arrangements, and Kelly Devine’s choreography. It’s as natural as real and every bit as inspiring as the real story.
—Charlene Baldridge has been writing about the arts since 1979. You can follow her blog at charlenebaldridge.com or reach her at [email protected].
