Humanity-Over-Hatred Message Highly Relevant in ‘Come From Away’

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Photo Credit: Matthew Murphy

Come From Away, a musical with book, music and lyrics by Canadian husband-and-wife team David Hein and Irene Sankoff, is set in the week following the terrorist attacks upon the U.S. that took place on Sept. 11, 2001. As such, it tells the true story of what happened when 38 passenger jets were ordered to land unexpectedly in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland (and along the Labrador coast of Canada), when all air traffic over the U.S. was unprecedentedly grounded.

Come From Away’s characters are not only based on but, in most cases, share the names of, actual Gander residents—as well as some of the 7,000 stranded travelers they took in. It has been received by audiences and critics alike as a cathartic reminder of the ability of human kindness to triumph over human hatred. It was first produced in Ontario in 2013; it went on to have record-breaking runs in several U.S. states and has been in more-or-less constant production somewhere in North America for the past five years. In fact, in October 2018, Come From Away became the longest-running Canadian musical in Broadway history.

At the 71st Tony Awards, it was nominated for seven statuettes, including ones for Best Musical, Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical; it won the Tony for Best Direction of a Musical for Christopher Ashley. “I was living in Downtown New York City during 9/11,” Ashley says, “and to this day, I have a tempest of unresolved feelings about the attack on our country. What a gift, therefore, to work on a piece that tells the story of generosity and kindness in response to those terrible events.”

“When we traveled to Newfoundland in September 2011, we had no idea that our journey would bring us to Broadway,” comments Sankoff and Hein. “We spent a month in Gander and the surrounding communities meeting with the locals, flight crews, pilots and returning ‘come from aways’ who gathered to celebrate the hope that emerged from tragedy.” The phrase “come from away” is a Newfoundland term for a visitor from beyond the island.

“We didn’t know what we were looking for, but thankfully the people of Newfoundland are incredible storytellers,” they continue. “As we heard numerous tales of ordinary people and extraordinary generosity, it became clear that during the week of 9/11—for the 7,000 stranded passengers and the locals—the island was a safe harbor in a world thrown into chaos. Through this journey, we’ve learned it’s important to tell stories about welcoming strangers and stories of kindness. It’s important to honor what was lost and commemorate what was found.”

There may be something of a knee-jerk negative reaction among would-be theatergoers to a piece of musical theatre dealing with the worst single day in American history. How do you even begin to interest people in that? Who wants to relive a nightmare? As director Ashley explains, however, Come From Away audience members need not fear a tactless, tasteless exploitation of a massive human tragedy.

“The show is a ‘9/12’ story,” Ashley explains. “Taking place more than 1,000 miles from New York City, this is the story of a week in the life of both Newfoundlanders and [stranded] travelers. Overcoming differences of culture, language and religion, the people of Gander and surrounding towns provided an inspirational example of how important compassion and kindness are at moments of crisis. I believe that this idea remains as necessary today as it was 18 years ago.”

Celebrating the Best of the Human Spirit

As for the show’s music, Sankoff and Hein’s score contains nearly two dozen numbers variously sung by individual cast members, ensembles or the entire company. Its overall style contains elements of rock, folk and Irish strains—much of it evocative of the musical life of the people of Canada’s Atlantic coast. “The music of Come From Away is inspired by the sounds you would hear emanating from a bar in Newfoundland,” Ashley says. “Pipes and fiddles fill the air, and the entire score is driven by the heartbeat of the bodhrán”—the latter an Irish frame drum. (After watching CNN for a few hours, I went for a long walk along the lakefront that afternoon. Many Americans today certainly feel something rather the same regarding the constant foulness emanating from the White House.)

“Musical theatre continues to evolve. Recent shows like Hamilton, Fun Home and The Band’s Visit have all boldly tackled current political subjects,” Ashley says. Come From Away dramatizes many of the personal obstacles the characters underwent. One woman waits for news of her firefighter son; a passenger named Ali undergoes suspicion from the other passengers and the authorities. Relationships come apart while others are forged. But ultimately, our show celebrates the best of the human spirit. The people of Newfoundland are spectacularly hospitable and also self-effacing. The most commonly heard refrain while we were researching this show was ‘No, buddy, you would have done the same.’ Imagine a world where that was true.”

Come From Away runs May 7-12 at Uihlein Hall of the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, 929 N. Water St. For tickets, call 414-273-7206 or visit marcuscenter.org.