Come From Away

Postcard Review by Caroline Russell-King

Show – Come From Away

Playwright/s/Composer/s – Book, music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein.

Production Company/Theatre space (professional) Theatre Calgary / Max Bell Theatre, Werklund Centre.

Length – 1 Act (1 hour 50 minutes, no intermission.)

Genre– Musical

Premise – It’s an emergency in Gander, Newfoundland. The skies are shut to aviation travel causing thousands of passengers to be hosted by the small town, doubling its population, stretching its resources, and helping people deal with tumult and trauma.

Why this play? Why now? – Stories of humans rallying to help other humans in times of crisis are inspiring and this the kind of story we need right now when the world is unsettled and stories of those who are indecent and lack humanity are the ones we seem to hear the loudest.

Curiosities – I wondered if those of us old enough to have lived through 9/11 had a different emotional response to younger audience members who only know it as part of history. I wonder if actors can tell the difference between an obligatory standing ovation and this one that caused us to surge from our seats.

Notable Moment – The whole show.

Notable writing – This show is a triumph. It is an illustration of what it means to be human and is a bona fide Canadian commercial success. Sankoff and Hein’s play was originally developed at Sheridan College, Ontario and was further developed at Goodspeed Musical Festival of New Artists Connecticut, and 5^th Ave Theatre, and then landed on Broadway. It has been translated into Spanish, Danish, French, Dutch and Korean.

Notable performances – The Everyone of the ensemble of 12 actors, play a cast of seemingly a hundred are terrific. Standouts include Selena Fisher as the pilot who breaks glass ceilings; community organizer Elizabeth Stepkowski Tarhan; N Girgis as the Muslim passenger and animal caretaker; mother of a firefighter Kristin Litzenberg; Cop and Rabbi Andy Cohen and the ringmaster mayor/s- the one the only Mark Bellamy.  

Notable design/Production – Set Designer Scott Reid’s rotating, two leveled set is economical and simple - in the best way. Costume Designer Ralamy Kneeshaw’s costumes tell the story, (and get laughs), and Cory Pattak’s lighting design is (excuse the pun) brilliant.

Notable direction – Director & Choreographer Jesse Robb and Musical Director Steven Greenfield land a first-class show.

One reason to see this show – ILICIS (I laughed, I cried, I stood). A show about grounded planes that soars.