Come From Away Triumphs with its Unforgettable Blend of Heartfelt Emotion and Humorous Resilience.

November 21st, 2021

From the moment the lights dimmed in the Dreyfoos Concert Hall of the (fully packed) Kravis Center to the final bows, this rendition of the 2017 hit musical “Come From Away” held the audience’s attention (including mine) with a vice grip and never let it go.

Cast members of Come From Away. photo by Matthew Murphy

The ensemble-heavy show, featuring a small cast of 18 takes few pauses as it moves between resounding musical numbers, touching soliloquies, and snappy dialogue. It takes the audience on a journey of passengers stranded in Newfoundland on September 11, 2001. The chemistry between the cast was palpable, even as they rapidly changed clothes and accents to assume different roles.

Cast members of Come From Away. photo by Matthew Murphy

The excellent cast featuring Kevin Carolan (also in Disney’s Newsies on Broadway) as Claude and Marika Aubrey (also Mrs. Wormwood in Matilda at the RSC) as Beverly casts a delicate balance between borderline-absurd comedy and the confusion and overwhelming grief surrounding 9/11. Aubrey in particular conveys contagious enthusiasm as she belts out her feminist anthem “Me and the Sky,” while Christine Toy Johnson (Diane) and Chamblee Ferguson (Nick) deliver a lovably awkward romance tale that the audience has to root for.

The show is equal parts powerful and silly. Jokes about the absurdness of being stuck in a backwoods town of Newfoundland — including multiple characters kissing a fish — are intertwined with tear jerking moments of loss and sorrow as characters toil with missing loved ones and a sense of national defeat. The cast executes this contrast expertly, allowing the audience plenty of moments to laugh and cry.

Cast members of Come From Away. photo by Matthew Murphy

Overall, the show was spectacular. As the curtain closed after a well-deserved standing ovation from the crowd, I found myself disappointed that the show was over, and I highly recommend seeing the remaining showings. It is definitely worth the watch.