I’ve never been a true “theater kid.” I never did act or sing (thankfully), but I worked backstage and with set design my senior year of high school because my friend needed some extra help. However, I’ve always loved theater as an art form. Musicals are a remarkably engaging method of storytelling and I saw my first show back in 2020 before NYC’s Broadway shut down due to COVID and fell in love. I forgot how much I loved it, though, as I’ve gotten swamped with work and studying, but I decided on a whim to impulsively buy tickets to a show. So, earlier this month, I was lucky enough to get to see the musical Come From Away at the Academy of Music in central Philadelphia.
I listened to the full soundtrack of Come From Away in 2019 and it is an incredibly powerful story. For those who don’t know, Come From Away is a heartwarming and sometimes comedic story detailing when 38 planes were forced to land in Gander, Newfoundland, Canada when the U.S. air spaces closed on 9/11 in 2001. The show highlights the stories of not only the people in the very small town of Gander dealing with thousands of terrified plane people (as the musical calls them) but also the passengers themselves. The cast is small, with only 12 people, each of which plays multiple roles (indicated by the accessories they wear, like a jacket or hat) to bring the stories together. The props and set pieces are also very minimal, just a set of chairs and tables, but the performances are incredible. Overall, the musical is a tale of friendship, optimism, and the power of human connection, while also showcasing the fear and the racist ideologies that emerged after the attack. It gives a powerful look at a national tragedy in an uncommon place, and it is one of my favorite musicals.
This was my second time seeing the show (I saw it a good four years ago in New York City before it closed in October of 2022), and it reminded me why it’s one of my favorites. The Academy of Music itself is a beautiful and very big theater and the show I went to had ASL interpreters translating the entire performance. The actors all did amazing, but the real highlight was the music. Unlike many other shows, the band is on stage performing and even is directly involved in the number Screech In. They also are the ones who get the final bows during the curtain call, staying on stage after the actors have left to do a music-only version of the aforementioned song aptly named Screech Out. This just goes to show how much Come From Away values human connection, it gives the same credit and attention to the musicians as it does the actors, which many other shows don’t do.
It truly is a beautiful performance and it’s on its North American tour right now. If you ever get the chance to see it, I highly recommend it, it reminds me of what I’ve been missing. Theater may get a bad rap, but it’s an amazing art form and it doesn’t hurt to branch out, you might just (re)fall in love with it.