Through July 2: Kindness in the Key of Urgency: “Come From Away” Lands Gracefully at The Muny
A clear-eyed, deeply human production reminds us that empathy is not only possible but performable.
In a world increasingly fractured by division, “Come From Away” offers a rare theatrical balm: a story of strangers becoming neighbors, of crisis met with compassion. At this Muny premiere, Irene Sankoff and David Hein’s folk-rock musical lands with a steady human heartbeat, rather than bombast— a portrait of what’s possible when fear gives way to generosity, when strangers choose to listen. It’s not sentimental. It’s not easy. But it is, in every sense, heartfelt, genuine, authentic and true.
Set in the remote town of Gander, Newfoundland, the musical recounts the true story of 7,000 airline passengers unexpectedly grounded there in the wake of 9/11. Over five days, the townspeople and the “plane people” navigate language barriers, cultural divides and personal grief — forging unlikely bonds in extraordinary circumstances.
Director Seth Sklar-Heyn, known for his work on Broadway’s “The Phantom of the Opera,” brings a meticulous sense of rhythm to this sprawling outdoor stage. His staging — centered on a rotating turntable and framed by watercolor projections of Newfoundland’s autumnal landscape — resists spectacle in favor of suggestion. The result is a production that feels intimate despite its scale, propelled by seamless transitions and emotional clarity.
The show’s 12-person ensemble is its engine and its soul. Each actor toggles between multiple roles — Gander locals and stranded “plane people” — with fluidity. Dialects shift, postures change and yet the emotional throughline remains unbroken. This is a feat of technical precision as well as a masterclass in empathy-building.
Heidi Blickenstaff delivers a quietly commanding performance as Beverley Bass, the trailblazing pilot whose “Me and the Sky” becomes less anthem than revelation. Tamika Lawrence’s Hannah is all restraint and ache, her “I Am Here” a moment of suspended time. Jason Tam and Trey DeLuna bring nuance to the Kevins, a couple unraveling under the weight of global trauma and personal doubt. Zoe Vonder Haar’s Beulah and Adam Heller’s Claude anchor the show with warmth and wryness, while Alan H. Green’s Bob offers levity without caricature.
Jesse Robb’s choreography is kinetic and leverages a language of movement that mirrors the emotional geography of the piece. Bodies form and reform in communal gestures, suggesting both the chaos of displacement and the choreography of care. Evan Roider’s music direction keeps the folk- and Celtic-inflected score crisp and propulsive, adding texture without overwhelming the vocals. It’s not often (if ever) that a musical has included an onstage “ugly stick” – a Newfoundland musical instrument fashioned out of household and tool shed item?
Design-wise, the production is a study in restraint. Utilitarian chairs, shifting tableaus and subtle lighting evoke Gander’s settings and terrain without overstatement. The technical collaboration between Sklar-Heyn, scenic designer Edward E. Haynes Jr. and video designer Mike Tutaj enhances the show’s realism without distracting from its humanity.
But it’s the ensemble — diverse in age, race and body — that elevates this production. Their collective discipline, tonal precision and emotional generosity transform “Come From Away” from a musical into a meditation. There are no villains here, no grandstanding heroes — just people, figuring it out together.
In his program notes, Muny Artistic Director and Executive Producer Mike Isaacson addresses a common question: whether a show like this is “too small” for the Muny’s expansive stage. “My experience is that if the ideas are big and the characters are compelling, a show can work in any space, including the Muny,” he writes. Thanks to the 2019 renovation of the James S. McDonnell stage and its “astonishing new lighting systems,” Isaacson notes, the Muny can now create “unprecedented intimacy between you and the actors, few props needed.” This production proves his point — intimacy is not a matter of scale, but of intention.
Like the best episodes of the television series “Northern Exposure” or “Everwood,” and the intersecting stories in the film “Love, Actually,” “Come From Away” explores the emotional terrain where strangers become family and small acts of kindness ripple outward. It reminds us, as Hugh Grant’s voiceover says in the final moments of “Love, Actually,” that “if you look for it, I’ve got a sneaky feeling you’ll find that love actually is all around.” At The Muny, that love is not just found — it’s staged, sung and shared.
The Muny’s production of “Come From Away” continues through July 2. For more information, visit their website.