‘We all come from everywhere, we all come from away.’
On Friday, September 10th Come From Away was released on Apple TV, welcoming theatre fans from around the world to the rock.
This version of the show was filmed live at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre in May, performed to an audience which included frontline workers and 9/11 survivors, and features Jenn Colella, Petrina Bromley, Joel Hatch, Caesar Samayoa, Q. Smith, Astrid Van Wieren, and Sharon Wheatley from the original Broadway cast, with De’Lon Grant, Tony Lepage, Emily Walton, Jim Walton, and Paul Whitty completing the company.
Come From Away is set in the days following the 9/11 attacks and tells the true story of what happened in Gander, Newfoundland. When U.S airspace had to close, thirty-eight planes were diverted to the small Canadian town as part of Operation Yellow Ribbon. The residents took in 7,000 stranded travellers (more than the population of their town) until they could safely return home.
The musical, with a book, score, and lyrics by Canadian writers Irene Sankhoff and David Hein, is one of the best written shows I have ever seen.
As I mentioned, what you see in Come From Away is set in a real time and place, created by weaving together the stories of real people who either lived or took refuge in Gander, Newfoundland in the wake of 9/11. This isn’t the kind of storyline anyone expects a musical to have, and I think many people are tentative approaching this show due to the tragic events which happen before the story even begins.
But Sankhoff and Hein have written a beautiful tribute, which, to use their own words from the musical: “honour what was lost, but also commemorate what was found.”
It is an extremely respectful retelling which dives in heart-first, a unique approach which allows the story to focus on the connections made between unlikely people. It’s about how genuine human goodness can be a candle in the window even during the darkest nights.
I truly have never seen or heard anything like it, and it is one of the best books to a musical I have ever experienced.
Come From Away is especially dear to my heart because it is a story about Canadians, by Canadians. There are so many incredible Canadian works of art which never reach this sort of global acclaim, and to see it happen with something like Come From Away, which showcases some of the best of us, is beyond moving.
The show is really like a warm Canadian hug.
It’s warm, makes you laugh, focuses on love, and lets audiences leave looking for the good in people.
I truly cannot stress enough how much I think Come From Away is a masterpiece.
As for this captured performance, I was blown away by the talent and selflessness of the performers. This musical is an ensemble piece: each part relies on another, one isn’t bigger or more important than another, and the show works because of how tightly the stories twine together. The cast understands that, and performed as a cohesive, wonderful group.
As some of you know, I had tickets to go and see Come From Away back in March 2020, with the global shutdown cancelling those plans only days before.
Of course, I plan to see it when theatres reopen, so I almost didn’t watch the proshot. But I am so glad I did. This show is so healing and so beautiful and so needed during these times.
This is the kind of musical I could see over and over again, and it may even be my new favourite. I definitely sobbed from start to finish, but I also had full body chills the entire time!
I highly recommend watching Come From Away on AppleTV+, or going to see it in person when you next have the chance! I will definitely be going to see it as soon as it reopens at Mirvish, but until then I’ll have to rewatch this gorgeous capture!
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