(Cast of Come From Away at Ivoryton Playhouse. Photo by Jonathan Steele)

by Tim Leininger

IVORYTON, CT — “I’m fine,” is what Beverley (Dana Costello) keeps telling people in Irene Sankoff and David Hein’s musical Come From Away, but as anyone who lived through the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, “fine” is what everyone wasn’t over the following days. She, among the approximately 7,000 other people who were on planes headed to the United States were rerouted to Gander, Newfoundland, Canada in the aftermath of the attacks as American airspace was closed, and “fine” was the last thing they were. Come From Away is currently being staged at Ivoryton Playhouse, directed and choreographed by Todd L. Underwood, running through Sept. 6^th at the playhouse at 103 Main St.

            Affectionately called the “Sept. 12^th Musical,” Come From Away isn’t really about the terrorist attack on that day, or about courage or bravery in any way. It’s about something far more amazing. It’s about grace, in how the people of Gander, with a population of about 9,000 people, show courtesy and goodwill to the stranded travelers that nearly double the town’s population in a day. It also happens to be my favorite musical that I’ve seen in my nearly 10 years of reviewing theater.

(Dana Costello as Beverley in Come From Away at Ivoryton Playhouse. Photo by Jonathan Steele)

            Like Beverley, who’s an American Airlines pilot, the motley cast of characters are all “not fine” as they deal with the tragedy in their own way, whether it be Hannah (Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin), who is trying to get ahold of her firefighter son in New York City; Gander’s mayor, Claude (Joseph Dellger), who is desperately looking for venues and homes, supplies, and transportation for all these people who will be residing there for a yet to be determined amount of time; or any other number of characters, local or from away.

            Come From Away is about the best of humanity when the worst of humanity appears. It’s an expression of hope and love, with a score that embodies not only the Irish-infused culture of Newfoundland (“Welcome to the Rock,” “Screech In”), but the cultures of the people who are visiting. One of the more moving moments of the show is when people of various faiths find solace in their respective religions (“Prayer”), and the various hymns come together in a beautiful blending of voices, languages, and musical styles. Relationships, both platonic and romantic, struggle against stresses and anxieties, building bonds and testing others. 9/11 paranoia also rears its ugly head as racism begins to grow as well, as travelers become suspicious of Middle Easterners on the planes.

(Vicki Wepler and Patrick Steven Bovo in Come From Away at Ivoryton Playhouse. Photo by Jonathan Steele)

            Ivoryton has produced an overall great production of Come From Away, that has a number of little problems that pop up throughout. The cast is overall good, with a few hiccups in the vocals from several of the performers on the higher end of their registers during their solo moments, causing some pitch problems. Underwood had a clear vision for the musical, with new staging and design. For the most part, I liked the design changes he and designer Starlet Jacobs created for the show. I particularly liked the use of crates being used as multipurpose seats that allowed the cast to hide costumes in them. This gave the cast opportunities to change costumes when the focus was drawn elsewhere without having to leave the stage. Two sets of movable staircases also became valuable set pieces as characters ascended and descended in and out of planes. I would have liked the band to have been on the floor with the cast, instead of being up on a balcony over the stage. A couple musicians came down for the “Screech In” number, but I like having the band being engaged with the cast as much as possible. The music and story invite that kind of connection.

            Unfortunately, the night I was in attendance, there was significant audio issues as several mics dropped out with one poor actor, Miles Hanna — who plays the initially untrusting New Yorker Bob — had to go through much of the latter 20 minutes of the show without amplification. Hopefully those issues have been resolved going forward.

(The cast of Come From Away at Ivoryton Playhouse. Photo by Jonathan Steele)

            Despite a few vocal and audio issues, the ensemble cast work well together, and they do a solid job of juggling the various accents of people from around the world. There are some slight pacing problems with the musical’s humor, as some of the usually funnier elements didn’t land as it should have, but the weightier moments came in with some real punch.

            Ivoryton smartly paired Come From Away with the iconic musical 1776 for its two summer shows, as a sort of two-part bookend of American history, where we were and where we are as a celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary. Sure, it’s set in Canada, written by Canadians, with a cast of characters from all over the world, but it is very much an American story. It is a show about what we aspire to be, people of compassion and hope, stepping up to help the stranded sojourner, here on a massive scale. This is the fourth time I’ve seen this beautiful show, with a fifth time coming up in about a month in Sharon, Connecticut. Each time I’ve seen it I’ve been moved to tears, and this is one was no different. There are a lot of little problems that add up in this production, but still, Underwood and Ivoryton Playhouse capture the profound emotion and expression of grace that is Come From Away, reminding us all that 25 years later, if we are ever “not fine,” there are people out there who are ready to help.

TICKETS: https://www.ivorytonplayhouse.org/

PRODUCTION

Book, Music and Lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein; Director and Choreographer: Todd L. Underwood; Music Director: Angie Benson; Costume Design: Sean Spina; Scenic Design: Starlet Jacobs; Lighting and Projection Design: Jessica Drayton; Sound Design: Rhian Franchebois; Props Design: Kat Schorn; Wig Design: Alexina Cristante; Stage Manager: Rahxas Colite; Assistant Stage Manager: Alison Savino

CAST

Mimi Bessette as Beulah & Others

Patrick Steven Bovo as Kevin T & Others

Dana Costello as Beverley & Others

Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin as Hannah & Others

Joseph Dellger as Claude & Others

Stacia Fernandez as Diane and Others

Miles Hanna as Bob & Others

Logan Marks as Oz & Others

Jason Ivan Rodriguez as Kevin J and Others

Autumn Eliza Sheffy as Janice & Others

Billy Clark Taylor as Nick & Others

Vicki Wepler as Bonnie & Others