News Desk February 19th, 2019
The latest Broadway import swung open its doors last as Come From Away officially opened at the Phoenix Theatre last night (February 18). But what did the critics think of this latest musical offering?
The Daily Express was full of praise for the 1 hour and 40-minute show saying that "This show is a foot-stomping, heart-warming triumph", continuing with "It will make you laugh, cry and leave the theatre with a heart full of hope". The Times summed up their review with "9/11 musical as a heart the size of Canada".
The Daily Mail said that Come From Away "is the most relentlessly cheerful and ecstatically wholesome feelgood show I've ever seen". The Times was also full of praise for the new show, awarding it five stars they said "it takes all of ten seconds to be in its generous embrace...It calls for quicksilver, charismatic acting and singing. It gets it from this versatile cast. It’s an evening that, frankly, gets everything right."
Time Out also awarded the production with five-stars saying that "It feels so organic that you almost don't notice how carefully it's been crafted. Individual stories are woven through rousing, foot-stomping, all-company choruses. Actors swap between playing locals and incomers with a fluidity that shows it's just chance separating the two. It makes you look inwards to ask: what would I do in their place?"
What is Come From Away about?
Based on true events, Come From Away follows the events of September 11th, 2001, when, far away from New York, 38 transatlantic flights are grounded in the small town of Gander, New Foundland. With the US airspace closed, 7000 people emerge from the planes into a surreal reality, and despite almost doubling the town's population, are welcomed with open hearts, minds and arms.
Although the horrors of that day are all too familiar, this is a story of hope told from the perspective of a handful of passengers and Gander residents, who wholeheartedly welcomed the stranded travellers into their homes - and into their lives. Among the characters are American Airlines' first female pilot, a gay couple both called Kevin, and an Egyptian chef, who fears a frosty reception from the community - only to be proved wrong entirely. Weaving together all of their storylines, the show creates an affirming portrait of human connection in the most trying of circumstances.
Come From Away is now playing at the Phoenix Theatre.
it takes all of ten seconds to be in its generous embrace...It calls for quicksilver, charismatic acting and singing. It gets it from this versatile cast. It's an evening that, frankly, gets everything right.
The Times
