By J.E. Ballantyne Jr.
Not many of us can think of Sept. 11 without remembering the tragic events of that day in 2001. As we all carried on with our tedious day-to-day routines that day, we were all jolted out of our current reality by the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, as well as the plane crash near Shanksville, Pa.
What began as another ordinary day would end unlike any other day before or since. As we all watched the events unfold on television, little did we know or realize what was happening throughout the rest of the United States and in Canada. Hundreds of planes in the air were ordered to land at the nearest airports as all airspace in the U.S. had been closed. This order was to affect one small town more than anywhere else – Gander, Newfoundland in Canada. This small, quaint little town would suddenly be descended upon by 38 planes carrying roughly 7,000 people from all over the world.
This is the story of the musical “Come From Away,” which had its area premiere at Top Hat Productions this past weekend. Written by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, “Come From Away” is a fast-paced musical with a cast of 17 actors playing many, many different roles.
The audience is introduced to what could be called a sleepy little town, with “Welcome to the Rock” as the opening number. Everybody knows everybody, as well as everybody’s routine. But once the planes land, all of that changes. Unlike most musicals, there are no lead roles in this one. This is an ensemble piece from beginning to end.
And this cast of 17 is strong on every front. With each actor playing numerous roles, most of which have some sort of accent, it is tough keeping a scorecard on who is who. Actors change characters, some literally within the span of a line of dialogue. It’s faster than a hockey game at super triple speed. And this cast does not miss a beat.
You would think with the background of the story being what it is, that it is a drama from beginning to end. That is not the case. There is plenty of humor craftily mixed in with the inherent drama. And this cast expertly transitions with ease between the two. Even though it is an ensemble cast, there are certain characters that we see at frequent intervals as they help to drive the narrative. Al McKinnon greets the audience as Claude, the mayor of Gander, and paints a pretty clear picture of their normal lives. However, he also shows up as the mayors of several surrounding towns with a different costume piece and some unique mannerisms for each mayor, adding a layer of humor to each one.
Beulah, a schoolteacher played by Connie Leathers, is a heartwarming lady typical of small towns anywhere. Her sense of humor and caring attitude make this character central to the strangers who are visiting. She provides stability that makes a difficult situation a little more tolerable. Bonnie, the Gander SPCA worker, played by Sarah Martz also provides many light touches as she rounds up all of the animals that were being transported in the planes.
If there is anyone who comes close to a lead, it would be Beverley, excellently portrayed by Julie Palumbo Villa. Beverley was the first female captain airline pilot for American Airlines. Villa’s command of the stage is top level. Each time she appears as Beverley, the audience latches on to her every word, especially in her song “Me and the Sky,” explaining her experiences achieving her lofty position. She was an obvious audience favorite.
And speaking of Palumbos, Top Hat president Brian Palumbo has two very significant roles, among others. He appears as Kevin J, half of a gay couple from Los Angeles. But where he really shines is as the Muslim passenger, Ali. Caught in a very unfortunate situation, Ali is mistrusted and shunned by passengers due to being Muslim. He offers to help with the food but is constantly turned away. Palumbo communicates the character with finesse so much so that the audience feels some empathy for a man being judged not for who he is but for his ethnic background. He gives a very sensitive portrayal. You can feel the angst that he feels, communicating his loneliness and isolation expertly through facial expression and body language.
Renee Johntony turns in a stirring performance as Hannah, whose son is a New York firefighter. Her numerous phone calls to find out if he is alright go unanswered, plunging her into a swirl of uncertainty and worry, illustrated in her number, “I Am Here.”
Daniel Pappalardo as Oz, the Gander police chief, provides some comedy relief as he slides in and out with quick lines regarding aspects of housing, transportation and such. His quick takes to the audience are memorable.
Nick and Diane, played by Alex MacDuff and Patience Miles, provide a story line that runs through the entire piece as two people who meet and fall in love during this ordeal. Nick is a British passenger, while Diane is from Texas. The development of their characters is a nice contrast to other plot lines.
This show provides many fine moments, with most being too numerous to mention. Musically, “Phoning Home” has characters trying desperately to reach family to let them know they are alright. “Prayer” is particularly effective as the passengers gather at a local Catholic church to pray. Other moving musical moments were “The Dover Fault”/”Stop the World.”
As the planes leave Gander and continue on to the United States, the small population of the town has been forever changed. The cast communicates that emotion so well that you feel it yourself as an audience member. As you leave the theater, you feel a change generated by this show. In a world seemingly filled with selfishness and uncaring attitudes, this show is refreshing as an entire town came together to care for thousands from around the world and formed lasting relationships. There is certainly a lesson in this show that everyone can take home with them.
The only downside to the entire evening was that sometimes the canned music tended to override the actors on stage at various points, thus losing some lyrics to songs.
Director Melanie Lucas has mounted an extremely difficult production with a very talented cast and has pulled off a top-level professional production. The pace of the show is incredible, and the power that it has should long be remembered by everyone who sees it.
“Come From Away” will continue at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 18 and 19 and 2:30 p.m. Sept. 20.
Pictured at top: The cast of Top Hat’s production of “Come from Away” is, in front, Kai Green, Amy Burd, Jessica Ludovici, Diane Marie, Marissa McKenzie, Al McKinnon, Renee Johntony, Connie Leathers, Sarah Kinser, Michelle Jones, Dan Pappalardo and Alex MacDuff; and, in back, Sarah Martz, Patience Miles, Connie Cassidy, Brian Palumbo and Julie Palumbo Villa.