COME FROM AWAY – Review

With all of the fun and frivolity of last weekend’s Labor Day holiday behind us, the nation turns its attention to an anniversary. But with this 20th remembrance, there will not be any cookouts or mattress sales. The attacks on September 11, 2001, are deeply etched in the minds of those who lived through it, with a collective “Where were you when…?” shorthand previously reserved for the deaths of celebrities or the moon landing. For those still skittish about attending public events and services, television, much as they did two decades ago, will have many specials and documentaries. But one streaming service, Apple TV+ will have an unusual tribute: a musical, a real honest-to-goodness Tony -Award-winning-Broadway musical. But how does that even work? Well, it’s not a tune-filled play of the actual attack, but rather a somehow charming story that emerged in its immediate aftermath. This tale is about a little town that opened its arms and hearts to strangers who have COME FROM AWAY.

This modern fable begins on that fateful morning, but not in the US. Rather, we’re transported north of the border in the Canadian province of Newfoundland (AKA “The Rock”) and its little town of 7,000, Gander. They’re the home of the largest airport hub in the country, though it’s fairly deserted and in need of repair since the newer aircraft have larger gas tanks and don’t need to stop and refuel there. Actually many think it will be torn down and plowed over. In the local donut shop the mayor and the head of the school bus drivers’ union squabble over a possible strike, when the police chief comes in with the horrific news from the south. Several dozen planes will be diverted to their crumbling airport, so shelters must be set up and food prepared. The play shifts back to the airline passengers as they wonder why their trip has been cut short. As the Gander natives welcome them, they turn their attention to the TV news reports. The travelers are stranded there while the FAA regroups and decides when to reopen the skies for flights. As the days pass, the visitors are touched by the kindness of their hosts as they desperately try to contact their loved ones. One anxious mother can’t reach her firefighter son. As romance blooms between a British passenger and his Texan seatmate, the stress unravels another long-term marriage. Much of the tension is eased when the locals stage a massive BBQ party and make their guests “Honorary Newfoundlanders” at the rec hall. Bonds are formed and friendships begin, but will everything be forgotten once the “birds” are back in the sky?

Much like the acclaimed recording of HAMILTON that Disney+ streamed last year, the filmmakers get us up close to this very talented and energetic ensemble. The accompanying musicians are right on the main stage on each side of the main action. And much like that other “hit’, the stage is sparse, with few decorative touches, save for a glowing “Tim Horton’s ” sign in the opening scene. Ditto for the props as various tables, benches, and kitchen chairs double and triple as airline seats and other modes of transport. Oh, and the performers in this superb ensemble assume several different roles in the course of the story. The same actor plays the head of the bus drivers’ union, one half of a bickering gay couple, and…President George W. Bush. There aren’t big costume changes to delineate the roles, aside from jackets, scarfs, and hats. It’s amazing how the troupe moves in unison. much like a well-oiled machine even in the most complex dance routines. Everyone has their moment to shine, though I was riveted particularly by Jenn Colella whose main character is one of the first female flight captains, Beverley Bass who relates her love of flying and later bemoans the use of those beautiful planes as bombs in her solo “Me and the Sky”. Oh, did I not mention the outstanding quality of those “toe-tapping’ tunes by Irene Sankoff and David Hein? Yes, they easily go from that soulful ballad to the rousing pub “sing-a-longs” like “Welcome to the Rock”. It’s been reported that the original plan was to film the show in the actual locations, but the pandemic nixed that notion. And it was the right move, as the prologue tells us, they were the only working theatre (for filming) during the covid shutdown, giving an extra electric charge to the eager audience. Of course, we get to see the cast receive their much-deserved applause, but we also are treated to wonderful photos of them meeting the real-life folks they recreated on stage. It’s the “icing on the cake’ to this enchanting ode to the joys that can spring from life’s darkest moments. And with all the turmoil swirling about us right now who wouldn’t want to be diverted to the cozy confines of Gander, whose exceeding friendly citizens encourage us all to COME FROM AWAY.

3.5 Out of 4

COME FROM AWAY streams exclusively on Apple TV+ beginning on Friday, September 10, 2021