3 ½ stars
Canadians, at least as portrayed in “Come From Away,” are a self-deprecating bunch. The dozen Gander, Newfoundland, natives who populate the stage in this joyous, rapid-fire Broadway musical start the show by joking about how we can only understand about half of what they say (not true), and they only get funnier from there.
But even with this Tony-winning show’s frequent and well-earned laughs, “Come From Away,” which plays the Buell Theatre through Nov. 25, tells a fundamentally sober tale, and it’s one that many audiences may not know. On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, nearly 40 planes from around the world were diverted from the United States to the island of Newfoundland and its airport at Gander, nearly doubling the population of roughly 7,000 people in a matter of hours.
The travelers (or “come-from-aways,” as they’re called) were mostly clueless as to what was happening on the mainland, stuck on their planes for up to 28 hours and at a loss how to process this bizarre detour. But the citizens of Gander responded with instant kindness and open arms, and the story of how it all went down makes for a surprisingly vital, soulful musical — chased with a stiff shot of Canuck humor.
Compared to most bang-for-your-buck stage behemoths, “Come From Away” feels like a compact affair at an hour and 40 minutes. A single set — composed of lofty trees, spinning tables and chairs, and a versatile, cleverly lit wall — provides the backdrop. There’s no intermission during its essentially one-act arc, which is front-loaded with exposition amid a dizzying character shuffle that also firmly establishes the cast’s versatility.
Almost immediately, credible Canadian, Egyptian, British, Texan and California accents are sliced, diced and reordered in a narrative and stage-blocking feat unlike any I’ve seen. In similarly short order, the same few square feet of the Buell’s stage stands in for the local Tim Horton’s, the fuselage of an American Airlines flight (where loopy passengers avail themselves of free booze), the cargo hold, a community center, Elk’s Lodge, school, town watering hole and more locales — all with minimal props and scene-setting.
The complexity is occasionally disorienting, but in that way it’s an analog for the passengers’ experiences, which range from domestic squabbles to fretting over the loss of loved ones in Manhattan, or on one of the four flights that crashed that day. Through it all, the taut, stripped-down music (played by a mostly hidden band of acoustic performers) slowly reveals its alternately peppy and mournful brilliance, particularly as the songs are expected to gear-shift the mood in mere seconds.
Irene Sankoff and David Hein wrote the book, music and lyrics. As such, an aesthetic unity shines at every level, from the aching folk melodies draped over the (rare) quiet moments to the ebullient stomp of lusty barroom scenes or the myriad tunes that, miraculously, flit from one locale and mood to the next with nary a breath.
The dozen cast members play multiple roles, often tearing off sport coats, hats and vests mid-scene to change from a local TV reporter or town cop to a befuddled passenger and back again. It’s difficult to pick a standout, as they all operate at such a consistently high level throughout, but it’s notable that none of them are particularly young or stereotypically “hot.”
That further separates “Come From Away” from some recent musicals and endows it with a merciful, middle-of-the-road relatability that sells its subject matter, despite each of these actors so clearly excelling in their many, varied roles. The ability to convey such down-to-earthness amid the confusion and shock (with realistic but not over-the-top profanity) is a wonder, given that the story so obsessively concerns itself with portraying the perspective of everyone imaginable — a history-making female pilot, red-state white Americans, Muslim passengers, an uncertain black man, gay men, African families, a rabbi — even the poor animals trapped in the bellies of these diverted, now-idle planes.
This could all get numbingly hokey, as at least one character slyly acknowledges. But it never happens. The dialogue smacks of everyday speech, and the humor is both gloriously dumb and smartly honed. The mind boggles at the number of lines and accents each performer was required to perfect, and yet none of it feels contrived or, dare I say, theatrical (unless it’s supposed to).
Yes, the plot is about finding common ground, about rediscovering one’s identity while drowned in tragedy, or digging up trust when it’s in short supply. The book conveys as many nonfiction facts-and-figures as most documentaries. “Come From Away” begs for sundry metaphors that involve threads, layers and linguistic feats of translation.
But taken as a whole, it’s a clear and cleansing experience, affirming but not mindlessly so. “Come From Away” has a we’re-all-in-this-together humbleness about it, even as it reaches heights that most musicals can only dream about. It’s a deeply relevant, well-told story, regardless of its inspiration. The fact that it’s true only makes it more worth telling.
“Come From Away.” Broadway musical with an ensemble cast. One hour and 40 minutes (no intermission). Various times through Nov. 25 at the Buell Theatre at the Denver Performing Arts Complex, 1400 Curtis St. Tickets: $35-$125, denvercenter.org
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