Come From Away

Ford’s Theatre

Teen reviewer: H. Bright

Photo credit: Scott Suchman

You are here, at the start of a moment, on the edge of the world…

The terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001 have been burned into the memories of millions of Americans. But Ford’s Theater’s production of Come From Away does not tell that story. Instead, the show details what happened a thousand miles away, in Canada.

Background

On the northeast tip of North America, on an island called Newfoundland, 38 planes were diverted to the Gander (YQX) airport after the 9/11 attacks caused the U.S. airspace to close for the first time in history. With nothing but darkness and trees all around them, 9,000 locals banded together and worked day and night to feed, clothe, and house over 7,000 “come from aways” from all around the world. Every single character in Come From Away is based on one or more real people who were in Gander in the days after September 11th: Beverly Bass was the first female flight captain in American Airlines history and was ordered to land in Newfoundland; Nick and Diane Marson were two ordinary citizens who fell in love while stranded; and Kevin Tuerff later founded the Pay It Forward Foundation after returning home. Writing duo Irene Sankoff and David Heim blended the stories of these real people and events, ultimately creating a 100-minute musical filled with humor, heart, and love. Come From Away, then, is not a 9/11 musical; it is a 9/12 musical, focusing on the outpourings of love, community, and family that happened in the days afterwards. And now that the official licensing rights have been released, the show has returned to Ford’s Theatre ten years after its Broadway premiere to celebrate this story once again.

This Production

From the moment the house lights dimmed and the cast walked onstage, it was clear the entire company felt like a tight-knit family. Frequent embraces between actors and moments of eye contact with audience members made the audience feel like honorary Newfoundlanders. Furthermore, each actor played multiple roles throughout the show, sometimes switching characters within one line. Small changes in postures, accents, costumes, and physicality made each transition immediately recognizable and remarkably easy to follow.

The show’s choreography, created by Katy Tabb, was executed cleanly while leaving plenty of room for individuality between characters. Even the eight-person pit appeared onstage, oftentimes interacting with the cast in their own featured moments. Kyung LeBlanc on fiddle joined in the choreography for “Me and the Sky,” while Matthew Geist on guitar and Danny Villanueva on percussion had a battle of the bands during “Screech Out.” Together, this production managed to create both a sense of community and a sense of individuality, making every performer feel essential to the whole while still allowing each one to shine.

Performances

The cast of Come From Away brought remarkable versatility and depth to their performances, flipping between humor and vulnerability with ease. First onstage was Lawrence Redmond as Claude, the mayor of Gander (and others), who anchored the show with an authentic Newfoundland accent and a powerful baritone voice. Playing novice reporter Janice Mosher (and others), Julia Wheeler Lennon masterfully navigated Janice’s struggle to rise to the challenge of reporting such a tragedy so early in her career; starting from shaky hands and a wavering voice during “Blankets and Bedding,” she grew to embrace a grounded posture and warm smile by the end of the show. Wheeler Lennon also found comedic gold in her other roles as a flight attendant and a Walmart employee, wringing multiple laughs out of the audience with every one-liner.

Sarah Corey brought genuine honesty to Hannah, the mother of a New York firefighter (and others). While Corey captured her character’s initial guardedness through a snappish demeanor and classical vocal tone, she gradually revealed Hannah’s warmer side, with beautiful belting and banter opposite Kelli Blackwell’s maternal Beulah. From wielding a vodka bottle as a makeshift weapon to drunkenly Irish dancing, Michael Perrie Jr. as Kevin T (and others) and Jonathan Atkinson as Kevin J (and others) found an abundance of comedy in the Kevins, while still bringing raw anger and resignation to their more heated arguments. Finally, Housso Sémon played both Beverly, a determined and somber pilot, and Annette, a local schoolteacher and hopeless romantic, swapping between the two characters while staying committed and keeping a gorgeous vocal tone throughout. Her performance of “Me and the Sky” was a major highlight!

Technical Elements

Come From Away’s technical designers came together to produce an atmosphere that could only be described as a stylized representation of Newfoundland itself. Emily Lotz’s versatile scenic design arranged a series of chairs and platforms on a turntable to create seating areas, plane cabins, and buses while still giving the show a rustic atmosphere. Suitcases were piled everywhere, and a set of tall wooden panels created an imposing figure at the back of the stage. The lighting design by Xavier Pierce emphasized the production’s many shifts in tone, using warm washes during scenes showcasing community, and blue washes and spotlights during more somber moments. LED lights embedded into the wooden panels at the back of the stage also changed color to match the atmosphere and location of each scene, evoking a Tim Horton’s, radio comms channels, a neon-lit bar, and even white lights emblematic of the New York skyline. A final noticeable element was the production’s sound design, created by David Budries. In addition to a consistent and balanced audio mix across the theater, various filters were used to make the actors sound like they were speaking into an intercom, through a phone, or on television.

Who is it for?

All in all, this outstanding production, directed by Kevin S. McAllister, shone a beautiful light on the inherent goodness of humanity and the community that is formed as a result of tragedy. Brilliant performances, unique technical elements, and superb direction created an infectious sense of togetherness that was hard for any audience member to resist. Ford’s Theatre recommends this production for anyone ages 10 and up, and I feel that is accurate. There are moments of intimacy and profanity, but nothing is too extreme. Whether you lived through the September 11th attacks or not, this production is, as Claude states, a great way to “honor what was lost [and] commemorate what we found” along the way, and I highly recommend it.

Come From Away has been recently extended until October 25 at Ford’s Theatre, but tickets are selling out fast! Visit fords.org/performance/come-from-away-2026/ for tickets and more information.

Ford’s Theatre is also partnering with the Pay It Forward 9/11 Foundation to spread kindness throughout the DMV area throughout this production’s run. Visit payitforward911.org to donate and learn more information about the cause.