Sometimes the messy politics of the real world can turn a chipper little Broadway show into essential, must-see theater.
Review: Tariff wars make 9/11 Broadway musical about Canada and U.S. land with urgent poignancy
In its return to the Ordway, “Come From Away” feels like a emotive embrace.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
March 6, 2025 at 7:00PM
Just as President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada (and Mexico) went into effect, a work about the generosity, quirks and guilelessness of our northern neighbor opened at St. Paul’s Ordway Center.
“Come From Away’ is not new. Broadway tours of the big-hearted musical by the wife-and-husband team of Irene Sankoff and David Hein have played both the Ordway and Minneapolis’ Orpheum Theatre.
But its story about how the people of Gander, Newfoundland, rallied on Sept. 11 to welcome the crew and passengers of “38 Planes” that had to divert there that day because of the terrorist attacks has taken on added poignancy now.
Wednesday’s opening night performance drew an emotive, sustained standing ovation, prompting the accompanying folk-rock show orchestra, led by Sarah Pool Wilhelm, to continue with an effusive encore. That made the 90-minute one-act feel like a complicated and tear-filled embrace.
“Away” is named for the expression that the Gander townsfolk use for strangers. And it’s understandable. With its two-man police force and location at the edge of North America, Gander, after all, feels like the title of one of the show’s musical numbers: “Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere.”
But it has historically been a strategic refueling stop for transatlantic flights. In the show, the eyes of the mayor and residents light up when they realize that they have to accommodate 7,000 sudden guests, essentially doubling the town’s population.
The hosts get to work, buying “Blankets and Bedding,” toiletries, personal effects and other supplies. They house the passengers and crew, who hail from all across the world, have different sexual orientations and practice a variety of faiths, in homes, gyms, schools and wherever they can find shelter.
Curiosities are aroused. Relationships develop. And one tender-hearted animal lover makes sure that the cats, dogs and other creatures also get necessary care.
The whole ensemble tells the story in this spirited telling by Tony-winning director director Christopher Ashley. The stagecraft is simple, honest and occasionally witty. And while the cast is competent throughout, there are a few standouts.
Hannah-Kathryn Wall shines on “I’m Here,” a song that feels like an anthem of hope and resilience. And Andrew Hendrick is as ebullient and bubbly as an uncorked spritzer on the drinking number, “Screech In.”
And while Kaitlyn Jackson seems a little young to play the pilot, she has the verve, authority and cool factor to make us cheer on a musical that suddenly feels like a toast to life and to friendship.
In welcoming Wednesday night’s crowd, Ordway president and CEO Chris Harrington said that “this story reminds us of the importance of human kindness and tapping into our shared humanity.”
It was not a political statement, but one about connection. For we may also think of the show as a “Prayer” — a stage testimonial to our better angels in a moment of urgency, then and now.
‘Come From Away’
When: 7:30 p.m. Thu.-Fri., 2 & 7:30 p.m. Sat.
Where: Ordway, 345 Washington St., St. Paul.
Tickets: $44-$175. 651-224-4222 or Ordway.org.
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