After the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, thousands of passengers are stuck in a small Newfoundland town. What better way of killing stranded time than to love one another right now and then and the people from a-far did just that by embracing in a song and dance routine that, twenty years later, still fills our hearts with joyful vibes. That is now coming to theaters near far and near on September 10th, 2021, along with the soundtrack on the twentieth anniversary. When three dozen planes are unexpectedly grounded for a short period, and when all else fails to kill the boredom, let’s stage a makeshift play with all the passengers and towns people and sing all about it.
It worked off and the musical “Come From Away” tours Broadway this fall. If it came closer in Indianapolis, I would be an audience member as this is a fantastic production. It has already ben around once but twice is a wonderful encore. A lot of the human kindness involves sitting in rowed chairs, standing and dancing in a small auditorium. David Hein, Irene Sankoff’s and director Christopher Ashley’s outstanding Canadian musical paid off especially in the darkest of times. The live performance came to us from Gerald Schoenfeld Theater in New York and will soon be available on Apple tv+, other popular streaming services and smart devices we knew nothing off twenty years ago.
The broadway cast, to name just a few, include Sharon Wheatley, Chad Kimball, Joel Hatch and now departed member Jenn Colella, who played the role of Captain Beverly Bass. Stage plays are the best mainly due to being live with no takes.