Come From Away

You Must See This Musical

On Wednesday, I saw the musical Come From Away in Philly. The musical offered $35 rush tickets, so I decided to go. Now the rush seats were on the amphitheater level, which is the highest one, but hey, a seat is a seat, and I’m sure it was a heart-healthy decision to walk up those 93 steps. (Yes, I counted.)

Now I have seen this musical before. I had a day off from work, and my lovely parents decided to surprise me with a trip to NYC for the day. I knew nothing about the musical but immediately fell in love with it. I wasn’t alone in my sentiment. My Dad has categorized it as one of the most surprising musicals in how much he loved it.

For background on the plot (and it’s a true story): on 9/11, the United States cleared its airspace, and a bunch of planes coming internationally into the eastern side of the U.S. was diverted to Gander Airport in Newfoundland, Canada. This ended up being 38 planes. There aren’t many people in Gander, but the town (and a few other surrounding towns) dropped everything as their population grew by 7,000 almost immediately.

No one knew how long the airspace would be closed, but the Newfoundlanders clothed, housed, fed, and cared for the “plane people” for as long as they were there. This ended up being around three days. The Newfoundlanders showed kindness and compassion and were the best of humanity. Through the songs, you get the perspectives of the Newfoundlanders and the plane people as each actor plays multiple characters. Plus, the music is…