Walking into Aurora’s Paramount Theatre to see the musical “Come From Away,” I was not sure what to expect. After all, a musical centered around the tragic events of Sept. 11 does not seem like it would be the most feel-good story. However, “Come From Away” was a heartwarming musical that left me deep in thought after the show had ended.
The musical takes place in Gander, Newfoundland, a small town in Canada that had a population of less than 10,000 people in 2001. On Sept. 11, as a result of the terrorist attacks and the closing of the United States airspace, 38 planes bound for the United States were rerouted to the Gander International Airport. With only a few hours notice, the people of Gander had to figure out how to house and feed 6,759 crew members and passengers for what ended up being nearly five days.
The musical begins with the townspeople of Gander welcoming the audience “to the Rock,” explaining their daily lives and what they were doing when they heard the news of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. We are introduced to the town mayor, a nervous reporter, a school bus driver and a cop, each with their own distinct personalities.
With an onstage cast of only 12 actors, the production was truly remarkable. Each actor played multiple roles, effortlessly switching between townspeople of Gander and the crew and passengers of the rerouted planes. An aspect I found especially impressive about this musical was the smooth transitions between these different characters. The actors embodied each part exceptionally well, and with the constant back and forth between characters, it was really cool to see them change accents and personalities so easily.
The costumes were fairly simple, making the changes both easier and more impressive. Quickly adding a flannel jacket or black vest was all the actors needed to do to switch characters, and it never failed to impress me how the cast remembered what they were supposed to be wearing on top of all the singing and dancing. Even though the cast was small and the costumes similar, I never had a problem distinguishing between characters, and the simplicity of these elements allowed for more focus on the music and storyline.
Despite the tragedy that led to the events in “Come From Away,” the heart of the musical was the immense kindness and support the townspeople provided to the newcomers. The incredible hospitality the people of Gander showed, from inviting people over for a hot meal to offering to wait by the phone for a loved one’s call, was enough to bring tears to my eyes. Many of the characters bonded over their shared fear, loss and uncertainty and continued these relationships after they returned home. In the world we live in today, kind moments such as these can be hard to come by, so I found it truly heartwarming to watch everyone put aside their differences and help each other.
One thing I thought this musical did especially well was represent a variety of different cultures and religions. About halfway through the show, many of the characters come together to sing “Prayer,” a song that blends prayers from Christianity, Judaism and Islam. I saw this as a powerful moment of unity in which people came together to ask for help, despite cultural differences.
“Come From Away” was unique in the sincere emotions it evoked, but it was also unique in the surprising accuracy of the story. Musicals and other forms of entertainment are often fictionalized, and though there were certain parts of this musical that did not happen in real life, a remarkable amount of it was actually real. An example was Beverly Bass, the first female American Airlines captain, who was one of the pilots that got rerouted to Gander on Sept. 11. In the musical, her story is told when the actress portraying her sings “Me and the Sky,” a powerful song about Bass’s journey to become a pilot.
The writers of “Come From Away” interviewed residents of Gander in 2011 in order to get the most accurate story they could, leading many of the characters in the play to be based off of real people. Even small elements, such as the fact that two endangered apes were on one of the planes and that one of the planes was headed to Disney World with a group of sick children, were included in the musical, which I thought made it even more interesting.
Overall, I found “Come From Away” to be a powerful true story about a lesser-known aspect of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. This musical was full of impressive singing, acting and transitions, as well as heartfelt emotion that made me feel as if I was right there with the characters. I think that the immense kindness and hospitality the townspeople of Gander showed truly represents the best of humanity and the unity that can come when faced with hardship and tragedy, and I encourage everyone to watch this musical if given the chance.
