In ‘Come from Away,’ Canadians open their hearts

By Rich Fahey

BEVERLY – Earlier this month, this country – and the world – marked the 25^th anniversary of the attacks on the United States that took place on Sept. 11, 2001.

One of the stories that emerged from that unspeakable tragedy — while the fires of Sept. 11 were still burning – concerned some 7,000 strangers who descended on a small Canadian town and discovered what they had in common was much greater than what separated them.

The tragedy that was 9/11 resulted in a five-day forced marriage between occupants of the 38 planes that were forced to land in the international airport in Gander in the Canadian province of Newfoundland, and the 9,000 residents, who opened their homes and hearts to the visitors while the U.S. airspace was frozen after the multiple attacks. They bonded, overcoming cultural and language differences.

From those events sprang “Come From Away,” now onstage at the North Shore Music Theatre through Sept. 27. The unlikeliest of musicals, it became an award-winning international hit, and NSMT’s production is a rousing, emotional, funny tribute to five days that brought out the best in all and forged unbreakable bonds between the passengers and their hosts.  

“Come From Away” is an affectionate term coined for outsiders from Newfoundlers, who typically “screech-in” newcomers by having then down a shot of fortified rum called “screech,” give a short speech and then kiss a dead codfish.

A wonderful 12-person cast switches gears seamlessly to portray a series of quirky, eclectic characters. It is a true ensemble but the first among equals is the inimitable Mary Callanan as Beulah, the head of the Gander Legion, full of warmth and kindness, with an ability to think out of the box when it comes to housing 7,000 uninvited guests.

Another resident is David Benoit as Claude, the gregarious and well-liked mayor who begins each morning   at the local Tim Horton’s to feel the pulse of the town and has to solve a bus drivers strike before even thinking about his new guests.

Victoria Huston-Elem is Bonnie, the no-nonsense head of the SPCA, who makes it her business to care for the animals – including two chimpanzees  — stranded on the planes.

There are other memorable residents such as Oz (Kyle Nicholas Anderson), part of a two-man police force that is stretched rather thin; and Janice (Alaina Mills), a newly christened TV reporter who gets the story of a lifetime.

Then there are the passengers. Laurel Harris is Beverly Bass, one of the first three female pilots in the history of America Airlines and its first female captain, caught up n a nightmare and having to make it up as she went along.

Hannah (Carla Woods) wonders if her firefighter son in NYC has survived and is comforted by Beulah; Danny Burgos and Nick Lehan are a gay couple at the crossroads of their relationship; and Brendan Alvion is Bob, a black New Yorker whose learns the joys of Irish whiskey from his host.  Nick (Matthew Bryan Feld), an Englishman, and Diane (Susan Oliveras), a Texan, begin an unlikely friendship.  

The creators of the musical, the Canadian husband-wife team of Irene Sankoff and David Hein, have fashioned a score that celebrates the Celtic roots of the music played on the island, a score stylishly and energetically performed by an eight-piece orchestra led by Dr. Michael McBride.

Musical highlights include the rousing opening number, “Welcome to the Rock”; “Me and the Sky,” a tribute to the open skies and perseverance sung by Harris as Beverly Bass; and the moving “Something’s Missing.”

Given the events that form the backdrop of the show, it is awe-inspiring how Hein and Sandoff have crafted a joyous piece that is so relentlessly upbeat and uplifting, as well as providing laughter at almost every turn.  

Artistic director Kevin P. Hill, who directs and choreographs, has long since become the theatrical heart and soul of the theater. He makes the piece sing, and in the end moves both heart and soul.

The musical was a triumphant moment for the proud residents of the island province of Newfoundland, one of the Canadian Maritime Provinces, who through the years have often been looked down upon by their fellow Canadians, sometimes using a rather derogatory term. Here, they often poke fun at themselves while simultaneously pouring their heart and soul into taking care of their “guests.”

The story of “Come from Away” has never ended. Many of those involved reunited in Newfoundland 10 years later in 2011, and the friendships continue to this day. But the real world has checked in. As Gander recently marked the 25^th anniversary of “Come From Away,” residents voiced their disappointment at the way their country has been recently treated by the American government.  

In an interview, co-creator Hein summed up the musical’s message: “The mayor [Claude Elliott] likes to say, ‘On the first day, we had 7,000 strangers on the tarmac. By the middle of the week, we had 7,000 friends. And by the end of the week, we said goodbye to 7,000 family members.’”

The North Shore Music Theatre production of “Come From Away.”  Book, music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein. Directed and choreographed by Kevin P. Hill. At the North Shore Music Theatre through Sept. 27. Nsmt.org