Review: Why ‘Come From Away’ at Marriott Theatre is the Dolly Parton of musicals
It will soon be 25 years since Sept. 11, 2001, a sunny Tuesday in Chicago but a bleak day for humanity.
Those of us with vivid recollections of where we were and what we were doing when planes flew into the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon outside Washington, D.C., and a Pennsylvania field will likely feel the need to somehow mark this somber anniversary. Especially for those who lost a loved one on that day.
I cannot think of a better choice than going to see the musical “Come From Away” at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire.
This show, seen on Broadway in 2017, holds no surprises for me. I’ve reviewed it numerous times over the years. Indeed, it is one of the most-produced shows of the last decade, even though its authors have little to no name recognition and it has never relied on star performances. Every time another theater stages it around town, I wonder if I’ll have enough new to say to merit writing about this piece again. But something also seems to draw me back, and the show invariably gets me in the gut.
I always think a responsible critic does a gut check on their level of receptivity. On Wednesday, an over-stressed day that had me checking my phone even as the genial actor Alex Goodrich was doing a pre-show chat with the audience, I’d say I was at a low ebb, feeling exasperated by traffic on the way to this venerable suburban outpost. But I settled down as the director, Jessica Fisch, who understands her job here mostly is to get out of the way of proven material, took us all into a Tim Hortons restaurant on a seemingly unremarkable Tuesday in Gander, Newfoundland.
Unremarkable, that is, until jumbo jets filled with terrified passengers started landing all at once.
“Come From Away” is one of those shows that you always want to contextualize in the current moment. Looking back on my reviews, I see I once talked about it in the context of Putin’s tanks rolling into Ukraine. Aside from the anniversary of Sept. 11, the obvious thing that pops into your head today is the absurd Trumpian feud with Canada that almost no Americans support. Here is a prime example, drawn from oral histories, about the kindness and selflessness of Canadians on the edge of our shared continent. Decent people. Unpretentious people. Hospitable people.
I’ve never claimed “Come From Away” to be some kind of Sondheim-esque masterpiece when it comes to its book, music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein. But I’ve seen it enough times to know that it works like almost no other musical.
Why? Simply put, it reminds you of the possibility of human decency in the face of the pain and dislocation of others. It’s a very good humored show, too, and that always has been a formidable weapon against tyranny and terrorism. And it celebrates real, blue-collar heroes. I suppose you could think of this show as the Dolly Parton of musicals: warm, generous, nonjudgmental and appreciated by all. I’ve never met anyone who didn’t think it so.
Fisch’s production is very simply staged which is all it needs and it is a particular pleasure to see Matt Crowle and Heidi Kettenring come from away after months of touring out of town, playing the two passengers who fall in love amidst the chaos. Goodrich is another especially warm presence, as is Madison Kauffman, thoroughly charming as the rookie reporter who has Tom Brokaw begging for her footage of the biggest day in the history of Gander.
One other distinctive thing about this production is the striking costume design from Jessica Pabst. Given the locale and the characters, it is not easy to be flashy in this show (“Cats: The Jellicle Ball” this is not). Pabst gets that, but her costumes still speak subtly to the show’s optimistic themes, with little touches of color and beauty peeking out, as well as a sense of style, belying the stereotype of Newfoundlanders, which I found refreshing. Best costumes ever, I thought, for this particular show.
I’ve had other favorite moments in other productions, inevitably, I suppose, and I wish all the musicians were closer here. But the performer with the biggest emotional lift in this story, Sharriese Hamilton, playing a firefighter’s mom, honors the true heart of the show quite beautifully. By extension, she and the rest of this show honor all of those who were lost, or bereaved one quarter of a century ago.
Review: “Come From Away” (3.5 stars)
