Our daughter told us that her favorite of several Broadway plays was "Come from Away", based on the book "The Day the World Came to Town". We just returned from Appleton where we saw the play at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center. It is clear that she has good judgment. What a show!
The words and music both were written by a wife-husband team. The show runs 100 minutes and is performed without an intermission. I felt like I was a piano and my emotions were being played by an expert. Up, down, ok, down, up.
It is the true story of planes from all over being blocked from landing in the US as terrorists flew planes into New York City and Washington D.C. buildings on 9/11/2001. The American government closed the US airspace as a precautionary move and dozens of planes with passengers from all over the world were directed to land in Gander, Newfoundland. A total of 7,000 passengers were landed in a Canadian town on the edge of the North American continent with a population of 11,000.
There was waves of fear, confusion, and frustration. The town didn't ask for visitors but showed as much kindness and ingenuity to house, feed and calm the visitors as possible, despite no one involved having a very clear idea of what was happening or why or where. "Honey, 7000 strangers, in a bad mood and very upset, are coming for dinner, staying overnight and we are not sure for how long."
The show is wonderful. See it if you get the chance.
