PHOTO: The cast of "Come From Away." Photo by Matthew Murphy — The cast of "Come From Away." Photo by Matthew Murphy

REVIEW: ‘Come From Away’ welcomes Houston to the rock

By Emily Nichelle Wolfe On Mar 4, 2020 354 0

From March 3-8, Broadway at the Hobby Center welcomes those who come from away to witness the story of a small town called Gander on Sept. 11, 2001.

When the U.S. ordered all planes to divert to other countries, Gander – a city on the coast of Newfoundland in Canada – became home to 38 planes, 6,122 passengers and 473 airline crew members (the town’s population was 11,254) for five days. “Come From Away ” tells the story of compassion, kindness and the best of humanity amidst tragedy.

PHOTO: The band joins the cast on stage. Photo by Matthew Murphy. — While the cast was comprised of 12 actors, sometimes the band would move center stage and become visually part of the show. This was seen mostly in scenes that depicted a bar, which made it feel all the more authentic. Photo courtesy of Matthew Murphy.

The cast and chorus are entirely comprised of 12 cast members which brilliantly showcases how the smallness of the town and the closeness of its people. This group of actors, that felt like a family, even took their bows together further cementing the idea that the show is not about a single performance but a community.

Featuring a book, music and lyrics from husband and wife duo, Irene Sankoff and David Hein, “Come From Away” aims to be as authentically Gander as possible with authentic Newfoundland style of music and a dialect coach to mimic the very distinct voices of the Newfoundlanders.

Performances and “Me and the Sky”

One of the unique aspects of “Come From Away” is that there is not a “lead” and the majority of performances are group numbers.

PHOTO: Marika Aubrey as Captain Beverly Bass , performing "Me and the Sky." Photo by Matthew Murphy. — One of the storylines in “Come From Away” focuses on Captain Beverly Bass (Marika Aubrey) as she waits for confirmation from FAA that she can fly her passengers home. Her solo, “Me and the Sky” is a biographical account of Bass’ history-making career. Photo courtesy of Matthew Murphy.

Arguably the most iconic number, “Me and the Sky,” (one of the two solos in the musical) tells the story of how this tragedy has affected American Airlines Captain Beverly Bass (played by Marika Aubrey). The heartwarming and heart-wrenching performance is beautifully done with Aubrey’s emotion and humor coming through at exactly the right moments.

Another touching moment comes from Hannah (played by Amelia Cormack) during “I Am Here.” Hannah is one of the few characters that is not played for laughs and serves as a stark reminder that while humanity can help ease tragedies, it cannot completely erase the feeling of concern and helplessness.

PHOTO: Kevin T (Andrew Samonsky) and Kevin J. (Nick Duckart) discuss events in the musical. Photo by Matthew Murphy. — The relationship between Kevin T (Andrew Samonsky) and Kevin J. (Nick Duckart) oppositely mirrors the relationship between Nick and Diane. While 9/11 forced people to understand who they were at their core, the two Kevins wondered if they wanted to continue life together. Photo courtesy of Matthew Murphy.

The comedic performances of Oz (Harter Clingman), Claude (Kevin Carolan) and Kevin T. (Andrew Samonsky) perfectly mimic the ideas of small-town life. The performance of Bob (played by James Earl Jones II) is so nuanced that the character feels so painfully and simultaneously modern and timeless; Jones is utterly fantastic.

While everyone in the cast is excellent, the standout performance comes from Julie Johnson. Her portrayal of Beulah is appropriately hilarious and touching. Her comedic timing is absolutely genius and her emotional connection to Hannah is so well-conceived.

Creating Gander

PHOTO: The cast performing choreography. Photo by Matthew Murphy. — The lack of large set pieces allows for strong choreography and loud personalities to be displayed. Photo courtesy of Matthew Murphy.

The set is extremely sparse consisting of just a few chairs and tables with a gray wall, tree stems, and neon signs. The use of extremely creative lighting and limited props allows for quick scene changes and charismatic choreography. Transforming a single stage from Tim Hortons to a flight control center to the inside of a cramped plane all within a few minutes of each other should not be possible, but it is with “Come From Away.”

While the direction of the musical is executed well throughout, Christopher Ashley’s – who won the Tony for the Broadway production of “Come From Away” – crowning achievement was the use of a spinning stage. The center of the stage spins in various moments in the musical with drastically different results. At one point it is used to symbolize freedom and at another it is used to represent the idea of being trapped.

Nick and Diane

While the show would be great on any stage, the love story of strangers Nick (played by Chamblee Ferguson) and Diane (played by Christine Toy Johnson) feels so much more impactful because the couple lives in Houston and Diane is active in the community. Their number, “Stop The World” brought a level of intimacy that would be hard to replicate on any other stage. Their chemistry was intense and real and brought the Houston audience to tears.

After the March 3 performance, a panel discussion was hosted on stage with the real-life Kevin Tuerff, Beverly Bass, former Mayor of Gander Claude Elliott and Nick and Diane Marson. The group informed audiences of stories not shown in “Come From Away” and what the musical means to them.

For more information and tickets, visit thehobbycenter.org.