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Regional Reviews: St. Louis Come from Away Also see Richard's review of The Graduate
On that historic date, nearly seven thousand people were forced to land in the northeastern corner of North America (aboard 38 commercial flights), because U.S. airspace had suddenly been shut down following the 9/11 attacks. And, in this fact-based yarn, the Canadians living around that abandoned pre-jet-age airport swoop in to meet the challenge of hosting thousands of stranded passengers for a week, with all their collective shock over becoming a stateless people. And with the same growing dread over the human toll that everyone else was adding up that day. Visually, the tragic spectacle of 9/11 is barely referenced at all. But its reverberations add up to a sky full of drama and humanity–and (believe it or not) a concourse full of comedy. Perhaps there's a disaster movie lurking somewhere in the far background. But Come From Away plays a lot more like the classic romantic film Casablanca, with everyone praying to get out, or falling in love, or struggling with their own awkward truths. A hundred touching portraits are drawn in perfect song and dance under the direction of the galaxy-brained Seth Sklar-Heyn. There's great, multifarious, flowing choreography by Jesse Robb, and the wonderful spinning staircase set on stage is designed by Edward E. Haynes, Jr., with admirable video projections throughout by Mike Tutaj. The first-rate musical direction is by Evan Roider, from orchestrations by August Eriksmoen, with deep-penetrating vocal arrangements by Ian Eisendrath. The 2015 musical by Irene Sankoff and David Hein first went hopscotching around North America before it landed on Broadway at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre in 2017, beginning what would turn out to be a five-year run. Come From Away was nominated for seven Tony Awards, and won Best Direction of a Musical for Christopher Ashley. And now it's another seemingly effortless but towering summer show at The Muny. Tamika Lawrence and Zoe Vonder Haar are standouts as Hannah and Beulah. Ms. Lawrence (as one of the travelers) brings a mother's steady, pulsing drive to Hannah's leitmotif "I Am Here." Her son, a firefighter, is missing in New York City after taking part as one of the many rescue workers after the collapse of the Twin Towers. And here she calls out to him again and again, a mother trying to find a lost child. As Beulah, Ms. Vonder Haar (a popular local actress who shows her beautiful singing talent here) becomes Hannah's kind-hearted confidant. Ms. Vonder Haar also doubles early on as a comically panicked Airport movie type passenger, losing her mind on one of the big grounded jets, some of which sat without any guidance on the Gander runway for up to 28 hours. Seated next to her in that long onboard interregnum is a gay couple, Kevin T. and Kevin J., played by the excellent Jason Tam and Trey DeLuna. When they finally disembark, that pair will find Gander a far cry from their fast-paced life in Los Angeles. Elsewhere, Mr. Tam is pugnacious as a strike-leading school bus driver among the locals. And Mr. DeLuna is shockingly great in another role: an Egyptian passenger viewed with suspicion as tensions rise. (He played the same roles on the show's first national tour.) Throughout, Jacob Keith Watson does great work in a long list of onstage parts. Adam Heller makes it look easy playing the mayor of Gander, climbing up and down the big, broad Ziegfeldian stair steps on stage again and again. He's also deeply resonant as a pummeled-looking Polish Jew, who carries his own private worries about the 9/11 crisis. Abigail Isom is adorable as a local TV reporter, and Alan H. Green adds heartfelt comedy in multiple roles, including that of Bob, an uneasy Black man north of the 48th parallel. Andréa Burns adds tons of humanity to the show as Bonnie, an animal shelter volunteer who goes crawling into the cargo holds of the jetliners, rescuing forgotten pets and zoo creatures who got stuck in transit. John Bolton and Ashley Brown are the funny rom-com leads, Nick and Diane–he's full of British reserve, but falls for Ms. Brown's lovable Texan, and awkwardly courts her throughout the play. The show gets its wings from Heidi Blickenstaff as Beverly, the world's first female commercial airline pilot. Giant projections show crystalline blue yonder and silvery clouds gliding by as she shimmeringly sings "Me and the Sky," about her complex relationship with the world of air travel. It sounds trite to say she represents all their hopes and dreams in that moment, but she is quite iconic. In the end we realize that none of those dreams could come true without the idealism and tireless help of all the Canadian volunteers who stepped up in time of crisis. There's a snap of charm and realism in every moment, that defies any hint of martyrdom. The next show, beginning July 6, is Disney's Frozen featuring Patti Murin. Come From Away runs through July 2, 2025, at St. Louis Municipal Opera Theatre, #1 Theatre Drive, Forest Park, St. Louis MO. For tickets and information, please visit www.muny.org. Cast: Standby for the Women: Leah Berry Teen Ensemble: Chloe Jennings, Grant LaMartina, Drew Mathers, Annakait Peters-Bahkou, Jarod Rhodes, Jameson Roam, Will Schulte Muny Orchestra: Additional Musicians: All Musicians of the Muny Orchestra are Members of Local 2-197 of the American Federation of Musicians. Production Staff: Additional Production Staff: Sound Equipment Provided By: Masque Sound Special Thanks To: Lou Bird and DBProductions, Rogers Communications and Rogers TV The Muny Staff: |
