Theatre Calgary has picked the perfect time to produce Come From Away. The musical with book, music, and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein is a blend of hope and despair, with a patriotic thread that runs right through it. The Canadian patriotism isn’t centered around our country though, it is centered around who we are at our core and the compassion that we hold for others. That giving nature is on full display when we find ourselves in Gander, Newfoundland, the morning of September 11, 2001. The musical tells the true story of the 38 diverted planes and 7,000 passengers that land in Gander, and the community that comes together to take care of them. There are many things that make this production so heartwarming; it is the local faces on stage singing these epic tunes. It’s also the rotating stage design, making use of every artist on stage to tell a big story in small moments. It’s the sheer energy that the cast projects for 90 minutes non-stop. Come From Away is a truly Canadian story and it finds its heartbeat in Theatre Calgary, Alberta.
The play introduces the mostly quiet town of Gander. It’s bright and early in the morning and everyone including the mayor Claude (Mark Bellamy) and the local constable Oz (Andy Cohen) gather at the local Tim Hortons. They hear about the events on the radio, and get word that planes are being diverted to land in Gander. Claude convinces the bus union leader Garth (Eric Wigston) to help transport the passengers. Bonnie (N. Girgis), a local SPCA worker goes through the planes to support all the traveling animals, while Beulah (Elizabeth Stepkowski Tarhan) prepares a school to receive the stranded passengers. The passengers have had a harrowing journey. They have spent hours and hours trapped on a plane with no access to any information about what has happened. We meet a gay couple who are both named Kevin (Wigston and Ethan Vasquez Taylor) as well as Nick (Blair Young) a lonely British businessman and Diane (Jillian Hannah) a bubbly Texan. There is the pilot Beverley (Selena Fisher) who is the first female pilot for American Airlines along with Hannah (Evangelia Kambites) whose son is a firefighter in New York. Add to the mix Bob (Jawon Mapp) a passenger who is constantly surprised by the kindness of the people of Gander. Everything is covered by Janice (Sora Gibbons) the news reporter, on her first day of the job.
From the first musical number Welcome to The Rock, the story and characters in Come From Away take off. The music offers some incredible solos especially to Kambites in I am Here and Fisher in Me and the Sky. The production is 90 minutes no intermission and it unfolds at a very quick pace, much like how folks talk in Newfoundland. Every artist on stage plays multiple characters, making the cast seem far larger than it actually is. Kambites and Fisher have powerhouse voices and both handle the emotional range in both songs so well. It takes a lot to have more energy than Bellamy on stage, but Mapp and Cohen just manage to edge out the Mayor’s performance. Their collective energy and comedic timing is outstanding and they both are masters with Jesse Robb’s direction and choreography. Wigston and Taylor reprise their roles as a couple fresh off similar roles in Downstage Theatre’s most recent production and they play well off of each other. It’s nice to see Taylor on stage, a fresh face, bringing new energy to the production. Theatre Calgary has brought together such dynamic artists on stage, along with talented musicians, to ensure this musical is brimming with energy and vigor.
Scott Reid’s set design allows the cast to move around on the rotating stage, whiche makes use of the space with various chairs, and sets that change easily. Ralamy Kneeshaw’s costume design is outstanding with characters changing in seconds by adding glasses or changing into a vest. Her design is simple and versatile. Cory Pattak’s lighting design ensures that the musical solos stand out and Brendan Briceland’s projection design adds a fun flair to the production.
Come From Away is a high energy, compelling musical. Opening night did have the music levels slightly louder than the artists on stage, so sometimes the lyrics were hard to hear, which can be a critical component of this musical. This is a hopeful and realistic look at what Canadians can do in the middle of crisis, complete with local and national artists on stage.
Theatre Calgary’s production of Come From Away has been extended to June 27th. Tickets and more information are available online.
Photo: The cast of Come From Away at Theatre Calgary. (Photo: HarderLee)