At a time when it would appear that Canadian patriotic fervour is at a peak, it is totally appropriate that Vancouver’s Arts Club (in conjunction with its Edmonton counterpart) should mount a production of Come From Away. In fact, this musical homage to the way the people of Gander, Newfoundland, responded to the September 11th terrorist attack on the United States speaks to many of the virtues that Canadians are often credited with and which were personified by the townsfolk and their unexpected guests.
Most people already have some knowledge of how the town of 9000 residents dealt with the humanitarian crisis when 7000 air passengers had their flights redirected to the Gander airport. What is perhaps less well known are the individual experiences of both air passengers and townspeople. It is a major part of the charm of Come From Away that it presents a sampling of these stories in a wonderfully entertaining pastiche.
The result is a musical which reveals the plight of passengers, suddenly and without explanation, being forced to stay on a plane for many hours, the impact their presence has on the town, which, for all its Canadian-ness, was totally foreign to the stranded newcomers, and the magnificent way the hosts generously and wholeheartedly welcomed them.
The show gloriously mixes comedy, tragedy, and personal interactions, with a superb example of selfless human action. Indeed, the musical overtly indicates that those involved lived up to the desires expressed in the prayer of St. Francis as they became channels of peace, learning to deal with a variety of cultures, of religious beliefs, and tragedy. The people involved were prompted to see the common humanity of everyone, whether Christian, Jew, Muslim, or non-believer. It is a timely message conveyed clearly (but entertainingly) to the audience.
Mounting such a complex work is, of course, no easy task, and the Arts Club has certainly met the challenge superbly. Backed by a talented band, the performers brilliantly engage with the intricacies of the work, its constant movement from scene to scene and from emotion to emotion, resulting in varied and always engaging entertainment.
Once again, the Arts Club has shown how superbly it carries out its mandate of bringing the best of live theatre to highly satisfying performance levels.
Come From Away is scheduled to run at the Stanley Theatre venue until August 15th. As we approach Canada Day, it is hard to envisage anything which would make one feel even more patriotic than attending this delightful show. This is definitely one not to be missed!
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