Welcome to the Rock

A post about the beautiful show Come From Away which opens today on Broadway. Congratulations to everyone involved, and thank you for this beautiful piece of theatre.

I remember finding out about Come From Away when it was done at Sheridan College with the Canadian Music Theatre Project. And I thought a show about Newfoundland and 9/11, interesting. Little did I know when I saw it December 20, 2016 it would change the way I viewed theatre, the way I thought of my country and restored my faith in humanity all at once.

When 9/11 happened I was 9 years old, I had never been to New York, and truthfully I didn't really know what the Twin Towers were. I do remember sitting on the carpet in class and our Principal coming on over the PA system and explaining what had happened. And all the kids in my class turned to each other and had no idea why the adults were all of a sudden crying. I remember going home and seeing my mom in front of the tv, crying and totally engaged. I remember seeing the images and videos, I remember crying even though I didn't know what was going on. And I remember when I went to New York in 2003 the feeling I had at Ground Zero. I had never been to a place where all the energy you had was sucked into the environment. It was quiet and haunting. It was cold. I go back to the 9/11 Memorial almost every visit. I love New York with all my heart, and I just feel with all the good it does for me I should pay my respects.

So when a musical comes around that focuses on those events, I thought what in the world? How is this going to work. And oh my god does it work. It focuses on September 12 and the days that follow. It talks about the beautiful people of the town of Gander, the people who gave everything they had, their food, their homes, their Irish Whiskey. It tells a story about people, the good, the bad, the humanity. It's an emotional roller coaster filled with stunning music, beautiful stories, and tons of Canadian pride.

The musical focuses on the town of Gander and the 38 planes that landed on September 11. Each actor plays numerous character, which lends a beautiful layer to the show. For me it made you connect with the characters more, you see them as a 'plane person' and as a person from Gander. It adds depth to each person, adding another layer of acceptance and understanding to the other characters everyone plays. It wouldn't work in every show, but in something like Come From Away with a very fluid set it works perfectly. If you were to tell the story with one actor for every character the cast would be huge.

One of my favourite moments of the show is when one of the characters Chad Kimball plays is in the gas station and is confused because everyone is silent and staring at the tv. He turns and sees it's a moment of silence, and is stunned by the fact that everyone in the town is honouring it. He says something along the lines of 'If this were turned around, I'm not sure we would have done the same.' I cried a lot at that moment. I felt proud to be a Canadian. It also made me realize that you never know what is going to touch someone. It was a beautiful subtle moment that I will remember for a very long time to come.

Irene and David who wrote the book, music and lyrics wrote a beautiful score with bits and pieces from tons of genres. We get power ballads, bar songs, and Irish jigs. It doesn't sound like a musical, it just sounds like a story set to music. Which technically is the same thing, but it's different. Every note and phrase touches something in you, you understand why it's there and how it advances the story. I want to thank them every day for this show. It's haunting and comforting.

This is such a beautifully stunning example of an ensemble show. Everyone is working together to create this story and give it life, make it feel real. There's love and passion, caring and protection in every moment on stage. Even in solo moments there's a sense of community, you still feel everyone else that's on the stage and the importance of them being there. The best example is in the song '28 Hours/Wherever We Are' when all the plane people are still stuck on their planes, we get to know the characters, and we get to see them in a very vulnerable situation. They have no idea what's going on, some of them are drunk, and they've been on a plane for 28 hours. Listening to the cast recording gives you a brilliant view into this scene, but seeing it live, wow. And not to mention we get an awesome 'My Heart Will Go On' cover.

There are so many beautiful performances in this show. One of the most stand out ones is Jenn Colella in 'Me and the Sky'. It is stunning. There's so much emotion and heart in this performance. She takes you through her whole life in just a few minutes. As a female it's an extremely empowering song. Persevering to get what you want when people are trying to fight against it. And then her belt. Holy moly.

Today is the opening of Come From Away on Broadway and I have never been prouder of a piece of theatre. Obviously I have absolutely nothing to do with it, but I just feel immense pride for my country. It's written by Canadians, it's about Canadians, and it's on Broadway. It gives me hope in the world, in real life, in humanity, and even in Canadians being on Broadway. It's a powerful piece of art that shows just what we're capable of. We're a kind, generous, smart country. The reviews I've been seeing have already been amazing and heart warming. I hope that this show runs for years to come, and I cannot wait to go to New York and see this show. Thank you Irene and David. Thank you to the people of Gander. Thank you to the people of New York. Congratulations, break a leg and don't forget to make a Shoppers run.