“Something’s Missing” in your life if you don’t see Come From Away. Come From Away is back at the Fisher Theater in Detroit and better than ever. The phenomenal cast gave me chills and brought tears to my eyes. I was “On The Edge” of my seat through the whole hour and forty minute performance. The contrast of joyful and deeper, meaningful songs made this a must-see!
Come From Away is the story of Gander, a small town of 9,000 in Newfoundland. They came together to support the 7,000 passengers on flights during 9/11. Newfoundland has a very large airport because planes used to have to stop there to refuel. Now that planes can cross the ocean with a single tankful of gas, the airport is not needed in such a large capacity. Despite the low usage, 38 planes were diverted there during 9/11 and the citizens gave them food, shelter, and resources for five days. Although the circumstances were unfortunate, the experience brought together unlikely groups of individuals and impacted their lives forever. The show concludes with a 10-year reflection of the event, showing that the passengers stayed connected and created an unbreakable community. The town and the passenger went through much hardship, but grew together and found happiness in the small things. This musical encourages its audience to realize the importance of having a community and support system. Not only is the storyline powerful, but the cast and their voices have an enduring effect.
The casting for this show was above and beyond, with voices resonating over the crowd and replaying in my mind post-finale. While most songs were performed by the company as a whole, songs such as “Me and the Sky” and “I Am Here” stood because of their strong solos. The soloists, Beverley and Hannah, were beyond incredible. The cast also excelled with each actor playing multiple parts. The characters were easy to distinguish between and the story was coherent. Despite the heavy storyline, the show has a lot of comedic relief within many scenes.  Â
Although the moving and emotional tale was the most unforgettable aspect of the show, all components of the show were superior, including the set and costumes. The design was innovative, using the same props in multiple ways.Â
While Come From Away may be gone from the Fisher Theater just in just a few days, the memories and experiences provided by this production will be cherished by both myself and other audience members for a lifetime.