The Playhouse Takes Flight in ‘Come From Away’
No one’s a stranger, though we all Come From Away… since its inception at Sheridan College in 2011, this Canadian original musical has been nominated for 37 awards and 13 wins, including Best New Musical at the 2019 Olivier Awards and Outstanding Musical at the 2017 Drama Desk Awards. From workshops to the West End, this show has travelled far and wide to finally touchdown at the Thousand Islands Playhouse this fall. The story of thirty-eight planes and seven thousand strays takes place upon one stage: this musical and its historical source teach us how no village nor act of kindness is too small to share.
Based on the true story of the United States airspace closures after the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001, Come From Away follows diverted States-bound commercial planes all the way to Gander, Newfoundland, where the town’s small population suddenly finds itself doubled. In a flurry to account for everyone’s needs and comprehend the fallout of a national emergency, this musical explores the boundaries of cultural exchange and the human responsibility to lend a helping hand.
Sue Danstan as Annette and Beverly is a star in every sense of the compliment: bright as daylight and brooding as the night sky. She is vivacious as school-teacher-turned-volunteer Annette, lifting the air with her brazen fantasies about visiting pilots; but when playing a pilot herself, she is solemn as stone, leading the tender hearted musical right back to its historical centre. Clear as a whistle on a quiet day, her voice exceeds the halls of the Springer Theatre, reaching for the horizons she so laments for in her solo, “Me And The Sky.”
Kyle Golemba is an elastic performer, easily melding from the wholesome, easily excited Kevin, to the hard-ass and harder working union leader Garth. Funnily enough, I spent half the musical unaware that each part was played by the same actor. Amir Haidar, his frequent scene partner and second Kevin in the production (yes, both characters are named Kevin) is a similarly varied actor, taking on another role as the scape-goated Ali. Both wickedly funny and achingly sincere, Amir Haidar is a sharp performer with his finger right on the pulse of the musical’s fluctuating heart. Together, the Kevins are the most believable couple onstage (yes, the two Kevins are dating): a zingy pair with chemistry that oscillates between tense and loving.
Jen Fong (Janice) is the dance captain and has an excellent moment to show it off during the “In The Bar/Heave Away” shindig. The height of high spirits in this play, she had me whooping for her elaborate footwork. This uproarious number is the only choreo moment of great importance: Come From Away is a blocking-to-music kind of show, and in this respect, the Playhouse takes no liberties.
As singers, this cast falls into the “actors first” category. Pleasant sounding as they are, Come From Away is not a show of independent vocal flair (sans Captain Beverly, whom Dunstan had covered), and I think the choice to prioritize acting over singing is forgivable. What this musical should have is impeccable vocal ensemble arrangement— yet —either from the fault of the sound mix or the actors themselves, this cast is timid on the bravest harmonies.
The entire cast felt threaded together as tightly as the community they portrayed. Fortified by intensely refined accent work, this ensemble unites and disbands, taking shape as the overtly familiar community of Gander as well as the wary strangers from around the globe.
This production is seeped in onstage chemistry, extending the welcome even beyond the play-space. Director Stephanie Graham sets a clear intention to sever the distance between seating and stage: the show opens with each character walking out and greeting the audience with as hearty a reception as delivered to the ‘plane people.’ The show’s opening number, “Welcome to the Rock,” cements the viewers’ place as a part of Gander’s world.
Taking a step away from the original staging, set designer Nick Blais has replaced the figurative forest set with a distinctly Newfoundlander legion bar: spruced up with every possible item that could possibly hang on a wall. The setting extends beyond the borders of this seemingly objective set: morphing from the reality of the bar to all kinds of other spaces: airplanes, tarmac, hiking trails, and elementary schools take form within the design. The built set never changes sans a canvas backdrop reveal, and all other settings are communicated through the moving of chairs and lighting.
Beautiful lighting design, navigating the sudden and intricate tone shifts of Come From Away: the jolly moments with the sobering. A gentle, emotional lighting score guides the viewer from each emotion with grace. Emilie Trimbee’s lighting design felt like another instrument in the band, a guiding force so seamless that it became a piece of the music.
Come From Away is a touching story of cultural exchange, and a thoughtful reflection on the tragedy of 9/11. A ragingly popular production—and rightfully so—the Playhouse has extended its run through to November 7th due to high demand. Come From Away is a powerful musical that seems to deeply resonate with a national and even international audience, and invites viewers to glimpse into a hideyhole of history: I would like to extend the invitation and welcome all ticketholders to The Rock!
‘Come From Away’ runs at the Thousand Island Playhouse until November 7, 2026. You can find tickets and other information here.
