Come From Away at the Eccles

I was able to see Come From Away the last time the Broadway touring company made a stop in SLC and I loved it so much!  The only time I stopped crying was when I was laughing out loud!  I was so happy for the chance to see it again last night and my response was pretty much the same because not only is it a touching and entertaining true story about the power of community and the indomitable human spirit but it is also makes me feel incredibly nostalgic for Canada (all of the pop culture references made me smile).  After the 9/11 attacks, U.S. airspace is restricted and 38 international flights have to be diverted to the airport in the tiny town of Gander, Newfoundland, Canada.  The nearly 7,000 stranded passengers almost double the population of Gander but the townspeople willingly do everything they can to provide them with food, clothing, shelter, and comfort.  This show features an outstanding ensemble cast of twelve who seamlessly, with just the addition of a article of clothing or a prop, play multiple roles to tell the stories of both the townspeople and the stranded passengers and crew.  My favorites involve a local woman named Beulah (Kristin Litzenberg) comforting a passenger named Hannah (Candace Alyssa Rhodes) when she cannot locate her firefighter son in New York, two lonely passengers, Diane (Molly Samson) from Texas and and Nick (Stanton Morales) from England, who begin a relationship after being thrown together, and a member of the local ASPCA (Kathleen Cameron) who sneaks on board the empty planes to care for the animals left behind (including a pregnant bonobo chimpanzee).  I love all of the music in this show but my favorite songs are "Prayer" because it incorporates elements of multiple religions into a beautiful message of comfort, "Screech In" because it is a hilarious ceremony to become an honorary Newfoundlander involving copious amounts of alcohol and a codfish, and "Something's Missing" because it perfectly captures that hollow feeling I remember in the days after the attacks (I also have to give a shout-out to a rendition of "My Heart Will Go On" during an impromptu karaoke session).  The set is very minimal but it is impressive how just a few tables and chairs are quickly configured to represent the airport, buses, planes, the legion hall, and emergency shelters and I loved how the lighting design portrays the fear and confusion of the passengers as they arrive in Gander in "Wherever We Are" and "Darkness and Trees."  This is a show that will restore your faith in humanity and I highly recommend it (just bring tissues because everyone around me was also crying).  There are four more performances at the Eccles Theatre through Sunday, April 28 (go here for tickets).