COME FROM AWAY Previews- Page 4

[After Eight]

Posted: 2/21/17 at 11:18pm

At least as presented here, the subject matter defies musicalization --- defiantly.

 

An altogether painful evening that I'll try to expunge from my memory as soon as possible.

 

[BroadwayBeebe]

Posted: 2/21/17 at 11:22pm

I was also there tonight and can't add much other than a "WOW". Such a beautifully crafted performance with such direct and honest story telling done tastefully. I have to agree that I had tears in my eyes for a good portion of the evening. I will absolutely be seeing this again and will be rooting for this show all the way.  This is the best of what theatre and the human race have to offer. 

PS. It was a treat to see the real Beverley Bass in the audience tonight enjoying the performance. 

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 2/21/17 at 11:35pm

Very cool that Bass was in the audience. I can't get the Islander song out of my head and I too can't wait to see the show again. 

Eponine and Beebe, I will join you in rooting for this one to succeed, both critically and commercially. I was a big fan of War Paint in Chicago, but my heart has fallen hard for Come From Away. 

[kristinj1]

Posted: 2/21/17 at 11:45pm

I find it interesting that while I didn't really leave either War Paint or CFA humming any tunes, I completely forgot War Paint moments after leaving the theatre but went home and immediately bought another round of tickets for Come From Away.  Some stories get under your skin more than others.

[smidge]

Posted: 2/21/17 at 11:58pm

After Eight seals the deal. This is another must see.

[sing_dance_love]

Posted: 2/22/17 at 12:17am

*very minor spoilers*

 

Saw this tonight and though I wasn't completely bowled over, I very very much enjoyed it. The staging is creative, simple, inspired, and complicated all at once. Really wonderfully done. I absolutely loved the inclusion of the band at the appropriate moments and everything felt very thoughtfully considered. 

The ensemble as a whole is doing great work; each and every member playing multiple, and distinct characters to great effect. And their everyman-ness gave the entire evening an air of authenticity. Great casting. And I just loved the general celebratory tone of selflessness, being present, and collaboration. 

 I did feel a bit of "sameness" across the score and most of it didn't catch my ear as being interesting enough for repeat listening, but I think it was extremely appropriate and the storytelling was effective.  Also I just found some lyrical moments to be a bit clunky and/or unimaginative, but really these are minor quibbles, the band played it with gusto and I was toe-tapping away.

I struggled with the lightness throughout the first half hour or so. I very much agree with Whizzer's comment that they did a wonderful job at avoiding manipulation, but I think it could have used just a touch more of the devastation of the reality of the situation just for shade and contrast. Eventually, I just allowed myself to get swept up in the story they set out to tell and it won me over. I also found a few of the characters and the humor to live just a teensy bit in caricature and stereotype, just here and there. The actual story is so utterly fascinating, I just wanted to know more about how this town was coping with the situation and less silly "sexy-tary" jokes.

And it did feel like they were trying to touch on a few too many topics at once. Does Jen Colella's song, which had a wonderful reveal about how the events of 9/11 made her feel differently, even if briefly, about the greatest thing in her life (flying), also need to be a anthem for gender equality? Believe me, I believe in everything said, but as a piece of storytelling in this instance, it felt a bit superfluously relevant. (Boy did she sound great though, and the character's journey is wonderful, I just think the moment would have been more effective as a more simple meditation on her relationship to flying.)

Those things I may have done differently said, overall, this is one of the more unique, engrossing, and delightfully staged shows I've seen in a while and I'm very pleased to have seen it. 

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 2/22/17 at 12:24am

I haven't seen this show since the end of the DC run, but I had similar thoughts about that song. While I enjoyed every character and performance, hers wasn't featured quite enough to justify even having a solo, much less the only one in the show (right?). It's still a great song, but I agree with you there.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 2/22/17 at 12:47am

"Does Jen Colella's song, which had a wonderful reveal about how the events of 9/11 made her feel differently, even if briefly, about the greatest thing in her life (flying), also need to be a anthem for gender equality? Believe me, I believe in everything said, but as a piece of storytelling in this instance, it felt a bit superfluously relevant"

 

Captain Beverly Bass is a real person. As others have mentioned, she has seen the show - apparently, dozens of times. I read somewhere that parts of that song are virtually word for word from interviews with her. It is her true story. She was the first American female pilot to be promoted to Captain. Why leave that out of the song?

 

 "I just wanted to know more about how this town was coping with the situation and less silly "sexy-tary" jokes."

 

See, now this I had a bit more trouble with. MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!

A lot of time is spent of the fictional gay couple's relationship, and I didn't care for the way they were portrayed. I won't go into detail, but suffice to say I found it slightly offensive.

 

END MINOR SPOILERS.

 

Other than that, I liked the show quite a lot and wish it well.

Updated On: 2/22/17 at 12:47 AM

[sing_dance_love]

Posted: 2/22/17 at 12:56am

I totally hear you, and I completely think her achievements are extremely interesting and worth inclusion in her story. I had issue with the way they included that information and whether I thought it made an effective song or not. 

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 2/22/17 at 1:14am

Fair enough, sing_dance_love. It worked for me. It certainly is different from the rest of the songs in that it's the only true solo. My guess is that they felt they had to have an 11 o'clock number and an "I want" number and a shot at an actor Tony nom, but didn't have the time for another song and since they had the "I want" story, why not make it the encapsulated true life stories of one of the heroes of the show - and also make it the 11 o'clock number of an intermissionless show?

Jenn and that song are their only shot at an actor nom, imo.

Updated On: 2/22/17 at 01:14 AM

[SeattleTraveler]

Posted: 2/22/17 at 1:14am

ghostlight2 said: "See, now this I had a bit more trouble with. MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!

A lot of time is spent of the fictional gay couple's relationship, and I didn't care for the way they were portrayed. I won't go into detail, but suffice to say I found it slightly offensive. 

END MINOR SPOILERS."

Not a fictional couple. It's Kevin Tuerff and his then partner. He was at one of the performances I attended in DC. Though all characters were some kind of an amalgamation of various people interviewed.

[adam.peterson44]

Posted: 2/22/17 at 1:19am

" I had issue with the way they included that information and whether I thought it made an effective song or not.  "

For me, the information about Bass having to overcome major discrimination and harassment in order to achieve her dream of flying made the song all the more powerful within the context of this story.  If a male pilot says he always wanted to fly as a kid and then becomes a captain, we learn that he enjoys what he does, but he didn't need to constantly deal with everyone telling him he can't or shouldn't want to do it because of the genitalia he was born with.  It gives a much stronger level of information about how devoted Bass was to flying when you learn that, like many women in male-dominated professions, she had to overcome lots of crap in order to make it in the field. 

All women who did make it in the field (and many others) in the early years of rampant discrimination must have been truly passionate about and devoted to flying, to a degree that men wouldn't have to be in order to reach the same position (although of course some individual guys might have a similar level of passion, they wouldn't have to in order to succeed in the field).  That makes it all the more deeply sad and moving when she reveals what a gut-punch it was to have her favourite thing (airplanes) weaponized in the attacks, when we understand how important flying was to her as a life passion.

Updated On: 2/22/17 at 01:19 AM

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 2/22/17 at 1:30am

"Not a fictional couple. It's Kevin Tuerff and his then partner. He was at one of the performances I attended in DC. Though all characters were some kind of an amalgam of various people interviewed"

I apologize and I stand corrected, then, thanks Seattle Traveler. I honestly did a little googling to try to find out about them, but came up with nothing.I do feel a little better about it if it was basically a true story, but my problem remains:

SPOILERS AHEAD

 

There is only one character with a name in the entire show who is portrayed negatively, and it's one of the three gay men in the show (Kevin2, Kevin 1's partner). He's also a bit of a stereotype. Everyone else pulls together in this story, but the gay couple splits up. I get that they needed a counterpoint between the woman from Texas and the Englishman who met that day got married and are living happily ever after - true story also, but it just didn't sit right to me to have the gay relationship not stand up to the stress. The third gay man is simply a cheap sight gag. Perhaps I'm over-sensitive. None of this ruined the show for me, but it irked me a bit.

 

END SPOILERS

Thanks again for the correction/info.

 

 

 

Updated On: 2/22/17 at 01:30 AM

[devonian.t]

Posted: 2/22/17 at 3:19am

No need to 'expunge' a false memory.

Broadwayworld's very own master of fake news...

[sing_dance_love]

Posted: 2/22/17 at 5:02am

@adam.peterson44- Thank you so much for your thoughts. I see where you're coming from and totally see how the struggles she overcame help to show her intense passion and would deepen and compound her sense of loss. Totally agree. I guess it was just a lyric that was something along the lines of "and they won't stop me just because I'm a girl" (obviously I'm paraphrasing) that just felt a bit too on the nose for me and a bit calculated for applause. I only even mentioned it in my review because it was one of the few times in the show that I was taken out of the moment and drawn into analyzing the writing. That's all I'm saying.

I have profound respect for the accomplishments of someone like Captain Bass, to be clear. And I did think the show ( and even most of that song) were great! 

[rebeccmam31]

Posted: 2/22/17 at 6:11am

WhizzerMarvin said: "I was there tonight too and I LOVED it. Just tremendous work being done all around. The book, score, direction, choreography, musicians, orchestrations and a completely knockout cast all had me cheering and very moved throughout. 

When Come From Away was first announced I thought, well here's a chapter for Not Since Carrie 2: Don't Write Musicals About 9/11. Surely a producer would have to be crazy to bring this to NYC, even if it ends up being "tastefully" done. Thank goodness some producers did a chance and brought this in because I think its humanity and beauty is just what we need right now. 

I was pleased to find so much humor in the book considering what a somber topic the creators chose to musicalize; another nice surprise was how upbeat most of the music was. It was like a less depressing sounding Last Ship. 

Each and every actor gave several fully realized performances, but it's Jenn Colella who gets the biggest solo (almost every other number is an ensemble piece and all the actors remain on stage for the entire show) and will be forced to be reckoned with on Tony night. 

The most remarkable thing about the piece is the restraint the creators showed when developing the emotional tone of the piece. What could easily be maudlin or manipulative never goes done those paths and all the more moving because of it. Tears pricked my eyes in the overly joyous moments over the serious ones. These Canadians welcomed 7000 people into their village without batting an eye and without asking or expecting anything in return. It sounds cheesy, but to see the worst humanity can dole out be met with a force of goodness and kindness 100x stronger than the bad is nothing short of inspiring. "

 

Well. You have made me more excited to see this show than any I have seen in quite a while (and I'm always excited to come to the city). What a wonderful review! I can't wait for March 17th. :)

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 2/22/17 at 6:35am

After Eight said: "At least as presented here, the subject matter defies musicalization --- defiantly.

 

An altogether painful evening that I'll try to expunge from my memory as soon as possible.

 

 

"

I doubt that you even saw it at all.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 2/22/17 at 9:13am

I saw the show last night and truly struggle to see what people are seeing in this. The writing is amateur-- at best. It's reminiscent of Hands on a Hardbody but the writing here is all around not as good. I'm not a fan of Hardbody so...that's saying something. The direction is presentational and it reads more like an ad for Canada than anything else. Really bizarre experience to see something like this presented so cheerfully.

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 2/22/17 at 9:31am

Neon lights/ I disagree with you completely on the merits of the production, but the show has heart and humanity and that's it's appeal. Count me among those that would rather see an uplifting story of something that came out of 911 than something maudlin. From your other posts, it's clear that there are other musicals this year you are rooting for, and that of course is fine, but I do think this may end up being the sleeper hit of the season.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 2/22/17 at 9:37am

I didn't say it wouldn't be a sleeper hit. I just said I didn't like it. No need to rail against me.

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 2/22/17 at 9:37am

neonlightsxo said: "The direction is presentational and it reads more like an ad for Canada than anything else."

LOL. I saw the show in D.C. and while I deeply appreciated its uplifting mood and spirit, I couldn't pinpoint what issue I kept taking with it. You hilariously nailed it here.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 2/22/17 at 9:45am

Thanks BC. Glad you see what I mean. I wanted it to be good, I really did.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 2/22/17 at 9:46am

I'd have been interested to see a documentary about Gander and the events of 9/11, or read a really good article on the subject.  The musical just goes very broad very quickly, making the most obvious points about everybody and everything and at the end everybody feels better and well, okay, whatever.  There's nothing particularly distinguished in the book or score.  The direction and performances keep the energy high throughout, but it all felt very by the numbers to me.  

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

And I'll agree with the post above -- the gay characters' relationship coming undone didn't sit right with me.  It just came out of nowhere, and coming as it does at the same time as the heterosexual relationship blossoms and becomes permanent it feels pretty retrograde to me.  I don't know what went down in real life with the real Kevins, but as presented onstage it feels more motivated by a need to add some kind of Serious Dimension to a pair of comedy relief gays who've been used up to that point solely as a Tolerance Gimmick to demonstrate that Country Folk are better than City Folk.  It's as two-dimensional as the rest of the show.

Updated On: 2/22/17 at 09:46 AM

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 2/22/17 at 9:46am

I actually had the opposite feeling! After watching this show felt like I could scratch New Foundland  (and my Anne of Green Gables fantasies) off the list. Nice people and all but the last place I'd want to go vacation. No fish and cheese for me, thank you! 

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 2/22/17 at 9:51am

Anne of Green Gables is Prince Edward Island, not Newfoundland. PEI is extremely beautiful; the Green Gables house is fun to visit and the musical up there that has been running forever is a must see for any fan. I haven't been to Gander or Newfoundland, but have to speak up for PEI as an excellent tourist/vacation destination!