Come From Away Will Stop the World at Guthrie Theater and Transport You to Where The World Has Come Together

This was my fourth time seeing Come From Away (fifth if you count the Apple TV version), and somehow it keeps hitting harder. There is something very, very special about this show. My first two experiences were the original tour at the Orpheum, where the cast was dropping like flies from COVID and reinforcements were being flown in from all over the country, touring casts, Broadway understudies, maybe even a few folks who had just recently left the show and still knew the tracks. Which, honestly, feels completely in the spirit of Come From Away. Then came the Ordway’s chance to host the tour. Now the Guthrie gives us the first local production, and it’s my favorite of the bunch. If you’ve never seen it, now is the time.

If you somehow don’t know it, the show tells the true story of nearly 7,000 airline passengers diverted to Gander, Newfoundland, on 9/11, and the small town that took them in. Yes, it deals with that day, but this isn’t a downer. It acknowledges the trauma, but also shows us the resilience and compassion that saw us through that dark time. You’ll feel the weight of it, but I assure you this is a musical that uplifts the audience. The painful moments come, but the emotions we feel are cathartic.

Why does this production outshine the Broadway touring productions? I think there are a couple of things at play here. First is that, as powerful as the show has been since its first performance, the kindness and selflessness at its heart feel all the more profound given the current trajectory of the world. I grew up hearing my parents and people of their generation talk about where they were when JFK was assassinated. For my generation, that cultural touchstone is 9/11. At a time when the world often feels divided, seeing this moment, when people came together to support one another, lands with even greater impact. There are also scenes that touch on our darker tendencies, including the seeds of xenophobia that 9/11 planted. But it never loses sight of what people can be at their best.

This is a show about community, a community that comes together to take in these stranded souls. The community of Islanders and those “from away” that forms over the five days in which they are thrown together. You see it in the way actors flew in from all over the country during that first tour visit at the Orpheum. And maybe community is another reason this production is so great. I look around the stage and see all of these people I’ve been watching, writing about, and sometimes even interviewing over the last seven years. I see the community I’ve become a part of. It’s our community telling this story now, and that adds something extra. I see actors I’ve followed and sung the praises of, bringing this show to life. I’m moved, as always, by their talent. There is the added thrill of seeing some of them at the Guthrie for the first time.

Local favorites making their Guthrie debuts include Matthew Hall, who must be on leave from Guys and Dolls out at Chanhassen, where he brought the house down with his performance of “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat.” He’s terrific here as well. We also have Kate Beahen and Jennifer Grimm, both stellar in their Guthrie debuts.

Then there are familiar local favorites like Eric Morris, who is terrific as the Mayor; Katie Bradley, Jon Hegge, Jim Lichtscheidl, Ann Michels, and a seriously unrecognizable Angela Timberman. The cast is just amazing, including some out-of-towners, especially Soara-Joye Ross as Beverley, one of the airplane pilots.

I have to hand it to the Guthrie’s Resident Casting Director, Jennifer Liestman, not just for finding the perfect cast, but for giving so many of our local favorites their Guthrie debuts. We only have three non-locals in the cast, and they are perfect in their roles: Soara-Joye Ross, Evan Balasubramaniam, and Justin Keyes.

Director Kent Gash keeps the whole thing moving at breakneck speed. It runs without intermission, and from the moment it starts, it doesn’t stop to breathe, except for a brief technical hiccup right after “In the Bar/Heave Away,” but they reset and jumped right back in. Honestly? Since “Heave Away” is one of my favorite moments, it felt like a bonus round. No complaints here

Before I sign off, I have to acknowledge the musicians and Musical Director J. Oconer Navarro. If you are one of those low-down weasels who slinks out during the curtain call, I’ll warn you not to this time. Seeing the band join the cast onstage and get some appreciation as they jam is the cherry on top of this delicious musical. And while I’m on the subject, I’ll just say this: I think it’s a classless thing to leave without applauding the performers who just spent an evening doing their best to entertain you. Stay, clap, be a decent human. I have to go home and usually stay up writing until the review is done and posted, and I would never consider behaving like that. Just had to say it, its been building up for a while, and Come From Away inspires that kind of cathartic release.

Come From Away uses music to weave a tapestry that taps into our collective trauma and allows us to face it through the humanity of people forced together, who rose up and found the best in themselves. There is a running bit where the Newfoundlanders say you’d do the same. Would I? would you? I’m guessing yes. Would our country? absolutely not. I think we would have in 2001, but Trump would likely refuse to let any plans land in the US if this happened elsewhere. Come From Away runs through August 9th at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.guthrietheater.org/whats-on/come-from-away/

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