Review: Crowd-pleasing 'Come From Away' Returns to Providence

Where do you route 38 planes that cannot land where they're supposed to? And what about the 7,000 passengers that cannot go home? Send them to Newfoundland, of course. In the town of Gander, there's an airport that opened in 1938, the "Crossroads of the World" as the location is known. Boasting inhabitants from five continents, Gander is a small town that became the friendliest of people when it welcomed 7,000 visitors on September 11, 2001.

"Come From Away" is the collaboration of Canadian husband and wife writing team David Hein and Irene Sankoff, who visited Newfoundland on the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attack and gathered interviews from passengers that had been stranded there. Developing their story, they distilled hundreds of experiences into one heck of a musical that returned to Providence to excited audiences.

What sets this musical apart is not only the subject matter, which, though it centers around a tragic event, focuses on the triumph of the human spirit, with people willing to help others with little regard for themselves and, in doing so, set in motion a chain of events that will change the lives of both the citizens of Gander, Newfoundland and the "Plane People" as they are lovingly called.

Christopher Ashley directs this tight cast of versatile performers, as each of them must play no less than a half dozen characters. Watching them flawlessly switch accents and hats (literally) is a highlight, and the Grammy award-nominated score is delightful and catchy. Filled with colorful characterizations and moments of drama, pathos, and comedy, it's a crowd-pleasing experience that will have attendees laughing, weeping, and clapping for these characters, who are based on real people and events.

There's the divorced mom who falls for the single British man; the gay couple finding some common ground in a small town; a woman whose son is a firefighter back home and wants nothing more than to find him alive; and the female pilot who only wants to get all of her passengers home safely. There are situations that everyone can relate to, songs that will stay in your memory, and a slick production that is truly unlike anything that you've seen before in the Musical theater realm.

"Come From Away" is running through February 26th at the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) 220 Weybosset Street, Providence RI 02903. For information or tickets call 401-421-2787 or visit www.ppacri.org. National tour information for this production can be found here: https://comefromaway.com/index.php