Review By David Treadwell – Photos by Jared Morneau Photography
September 11, 2001. The good folk of Gander, Newfoundland were going about their daily business when news of the horrific terrorist attack broke. When they learned that 38 planes carrying 7,000 souls were being diverted to the nearby airport they sprang into action. How can we help? Where we will put them? What will we feed them? They opened their arms, their houses, their hearts, Everyone pitched in. That’s just who they were.
As the Director Mark Johnson explained in the Notes, “I would describe their actions as ‘heroic kindness” but they would certainly just shrug and say “You woulda done the same, buddy.’”
There is no one star in this powerful musical. Each actor stars, playing several parts. The real star is the story. There is no predictable progression leading to a grand finale. Rather, a series of memorable scenes gives the audience a real sense of what is like to be there, on the scene during those five days, either as a townsperson or a stranded passenger.
The emotions displayed ran the gamut. From humor (people being asked to kiss a codfish on the lips or being asked to clean the toilets) to heartfelt empathy (consoling a passenger trying to get in touch with her son, a firefighter).. You witness a budding romance between two passengers aa well as a wrenching breakup between two gay men.
You understand the black passenger who wonders why all those white people are being so welcoming and trustworthy, not something he would have experienced back in the United States. You empathize with the Muslim passenger who’s being shunned by his fellow passengers, as they learn that the attackers were Muslim. You’re moved by the Jewish man who leads a prayer with his fellow Jew. And you can most certainly relate to passengers stuck in a small town with no idea how long they are going to be there.
The musical moves along seamlessly as actors switch from one role to the next and the next and scene to scene to scene. They sing and dance and move as one like a giant centipede, an ever-changing kaleidoscope of motions and emotions.
I hesitate to single out one actor — every person on stage was absolutely superb — although Charis Leos and David Girolmo and Gregg Goodbrod demonstrated yet again why they have become MSMT favorites. Tarra Conner Jones as Hannah, absolutely nailed her role as the anguished mother.
Kelly Liz Block was the Choreographer, and one of the Dance Captains along with James Patterson, and she deserves high praise.
Harry Collins masterfully served as Music Conductor; putting the musicians on stage at the end of the show to play music and celebrate along with the actors was a nice touch.
During his introduction, MSMT Artistic Director added in his own special touch by asking everyone in the audience who had served as a first responder at some point in their lives to stand up.
After the show, one audience member noted that this production of “Come From Away” was better than the one she had seen on Broadway because, “It felt more intimate, more real, more human.” Another person said, a common refrain heard this summer, “We are so lucky to have MSMT right here.”
Based on the reactions of the audience filing out of the show, I believe the common sentiment was, “We needed that show at this time to show us that kindness will prevail in getting America and the world back to a better place. The good people of Gander showed us the way.”
(NOTE: “Come From Away” is showing at the Pickard Theater on the Bowdoin campus from August 5-22,2026).
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