Back in December, 2018, I wrote here on the more effusive raves I’ve written about a recent stage musical in years for the show Come From Away. It was nominated as Best Musical for the Tony Awards (and for my taste should have won), but won the Olivier Award for Best Musical on London’s West End. And won the Drama Desk Award as Best Musical. Whenever I saw that it would be playing a town where I knew people I would be unrelenting in letting them know that they should go see it, coming as close to a near-insistence as I could. As I noted in my article, it has perhaps the fastest standing ovation I’ve ever seen for a show, where the entire audience was on its feet the moment the show ended and the lights went down. It isn’t a subject matter that one would like would lend itself to a musical, let alone such a great one. The show based on the true story about the small town of Gander with 9,000 people in Newfoundland who dealt openly and graciously with the 38 planes and 7,000 passengers that were forced to land there on 9/11. But the show is tremendous. Unfortunately, most people have never had a chance to see the show, though it’s still playing in New York, and has announced that it will be back when Broadway fully reopens. I bring all this up because, it turns out, you will have a chance to see Come From Away. It turns out that the cast (mostly from the current production) reunited recently, and the show was filmed with all manner of different cameras – and it will be premiering on Apple TV+ on September 10, this Friday! (Note: If you don't subscribe to Apple TV+, it only costs $4.99 a month, so you can sign up for just one month. In fact, they may even offer a free trial period. Then, you can watch Schmigadoon!, too.) Better still, several members of the original cast are still in the show and participate, notably Joel Hatch who plays the Mayor, among other roles. Also, though the British actress in the current production who plays the pilot – among other roles -- wasn’t able to join her cast mates because of COVID-19 protocols getting her back in the country for the filming, the production brought back Jenn Collella who starred in the original Broadway cast and was acclaimed in the role. So, you'll get to see her perform her showstopping song, "Me and the Sky." By the way, I mention “among other roles,” because – as I wrote in my earlier article, “there are 12 actors who play about 100-150 characters. (I’m not exaggerating.) It may be the first ‘non-stop musical’ I’ve seen. The first number – which grabbed me by the throat and heart half-way in – starts when the curtain rises at level nine, and it keeps that pace to the end, an hour and 40 minutes with no intermission. It's a whirling dervish of an emotional, wonderful show. And it's magnificently directed on an almost bare stage.” The book, music and lyrics are written by a Canadian team Irene Sankoff and David Hein. They’d heard of a 10th anniversary gathering in Gander, Newfoundland – known as “The Rock” – and decided to go up to see what it was like, not having any idea what to expect. They ended up interviewing people when there, and the show sprung from there. What I also wrote previously was that “As fun as Come From Away is (and often very funny), it is at its core a thoughtful, serious drama that is filled with emotion, sadness, twists and a sense of the utter, stunning decency of Man. Or at least this town. In the program, it notes that Newfoundland and Labrador were named "one of the top 10 friendliest cultures in the world" by MacLean's magazine. It seems like an odd distinction when you read that before the show -- it is utterly understandable afterwards. It's also near-impossible to watch the show and periodically through the evening not contrast all this decency towards one's fellow man with news today from certain corners. To be clear, it will NOT be as good as live on stage. Part of the experience is the vibrant sound of the pounding of feet, the relentless movement. It’s a visceral production seen and heard live. But from all I’ve read, they’ve tried hard to capture being in the theater, using 10 cameras, Steadicams and crane shots to take viewers inside the show where theater audiences couldn’t go. So, my hope is that there will be a great sensibility to it, regardless. And besides, SO many people will never otherwise see the show. And this will be a great way to bring it to them. Most of the recording was done without an audience. But they did bring an audience in one day – made up of 9/11 survivors and first-responders – and several performances were edited together. Also worth noting is that the reunited cast will be performing the show outdoors for free at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. on September 10, to help commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11. And if for any reason you still have some uncertainty about watching, this is a wonderful article from the Washington Post the other day -- "A 9/11 survivor wanted nothing to do with 'Come From Away.' Now she's seen it a dozen times." But then, it's a terrific article even if you know you plan to watch. Or have seen the show on stage. Here’s the trailer. The video production looks very well done.
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AuthorRobert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. Feedspot Badge of Honor
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