Come From Away

A wonderful production that uses a simple stage so effectively. The set barely changes, but through a handful of objects, the movement of the actors, and a few platforms, that same stage becomes an airport, a bus, or a bar. The key theme is that simplicity can be just as powerful. No complicated set, no complicated choreography, and yet the message lands hard.

It opens with "Welcome to the Rock," a powerful introduction to the town of Gander. That's the real place in Newfoundland where this all happened, and the song is all about the town's pride. Small in number but mighty. The strength of the community shines right through. It captures that Atlantic charm and exactly what you can expect from an islander. Not sophistication, but a gruff, honest realism that turns out to be its own kind of elegance. You come away feeling the hospitality and pride these islanders have for the place they call home, and how ready they are to open it up to the unexpected guests who suddenly need somewhere to stay.

The story does a great job of capturing those islanders who took in thousands of stranded foreigners during 9/11. It really highlights the Canadian friendliness and open-heartedness at the heart of it.

Thes show reaches its peak in "Prayer." It's the turning point where people set aside their differences. Everyone lets go of their own religion for a moment and prays together, each to their own god. Whatever we look like on the outside, we all care about each other, and sometimes all we can do is pray. It's a quiet, powerful scene, and it says everything the show is trying to say.

The highlight, though, is "Me and the Sky." The song wraps up the whole struggle of the main character and her dream of becoming a female pilot. Through willpower and determination, she overcomes it all. She pushes past the doubts left over from the old wartime pilots, and even the other stewardesses who resent her. At the end of the day, nothing comes between her and the sky. Then the song halts. It drops from an all-time high straight to the word "bomb," and suddenly there is something that comes between her and the sky. It's a devastating turn, and it drives home just how much 9/11 took. This is not something willpower can overcome. It's something only time can heal, through remembrance and mourning.

I will say the actor did a great job, and she's a good singer, but she lacked a bit of the raw vocal power that a song this important really needs to shine.

The show also touches on some difficult ideas, discrimination and prejudice among them. The main character faces and overcomes the sexism of being a female pilot, and one of the Middle Eastern passengers is treated as a threat simply because of his culture. Despite the heavy topics, the show wraps it all into something easy to take in, and something that stays fun, warm, and worthwhile.