An Izzy Ontario Theatre Review: Come From Away at the Grand Theatre
By Izzy Siebert
“You are here at the start of a moment.”
When Come From Away’s opening number swells onstage, there’s a real sense of being on the brink of something special in London, Ontario. As the Canadian musical sensation begins a record-breaking run at the Grand Theatre, it also brings the theatre’s current season, themed “You Are Here,” to an emotionally resonant close.
Come From Away follows the true story of 7000 airplane passengers stranded in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland after September 11, 2001. After thousands of performances across Broadway and the West End, Irene Sankoff and David Hein’s award-winning musical became available for licensing this past fall, making London’s Grand Theatre one of the first to stage a nonreplica production and put their own creative spin on the beloved show.
I had the pleasure of seeing Come From Away at Toronto’s Elgin Theatre in 2019. Seven years later, the specifics of its staging have grown foggy in my memory, but I certainly remember how the musical made me feel. Director Julie Tomaino’s production at the Grand captures the deep humanity of the show that stole my heart while offering a striking and successful new staging.
Chairs have always been central to Come From Away’s creativity and charm. In the original production, the set featured a rustic wooden backdrop with opening panels but mostly relied on a dozen chairs rearranged to transform the stage into planes, buses, and bars. Tomaino’s production keeps the sparse approach but elevates the visual motif of the chairs.
The set, designed by Scott Penner, surrounds the stage with towering grey walls of chairs, with a single red chair at the centre echoing the map pin marking “You Are Here” in Gander’s airport. The imposing walls feel almost hostile as they loom above the characters, mirroring the passengers’ fears as they arrive in Newfoundland’s harsh environment, only to be met by a welcoming community. This set also embraces Come From Away’s theme of collective generosity, since its over 180 chairs were donated by London community members.
Scanning the 23-foot-tall walls, you’ll spot small items tucked on several seats. Although I found some of these props difficult to identify from a distance, occasional spotlights quietly highlight these details during scenes, like a little globe illuminated while air traffic controllers guide planes from around the world to safety in Gander.
Tomaino’s production offers a fresh visual approach but doesn’t make truly experimental changes, and this is to its benefit. Come From Away’s simplicity and story have endeared audiences for over a decade. The show’s success rests on a strong ensemble, and this cast shines as they populate the stage with characters who feel reassuringly real.
Gander’s residents brim with warmth and practicality, from mayor Claude (Darrin Baker) in line at Tim Hortons, to nervous Janice (Kelly Holiff) on her first day as a reporter, to Bonnie (Denise Oucharek), an SPCA worker fiercely caring for the passengers with paws. Many of the plane people undergo tiny yet touching arcs, like Bob (Joema Frith) letting down his big-city guardedness when faced with small-town kindness. Even so, there are sobering reminders of how fear breeds discrimination, as seen through the experiences of Ali (Izad Etemadi), a Middle Eastern passenger who faces prejudice and isolation even as he craves community.
Every actor steps in and out of multiple roles at a moment’s notice, but each character feels distinct no matter how briefly they appear. Mannerisms and accents, aided by easily removed costume layers from designer Ming Wong, make these shifts recognizable. It’s a credit to choreographer Nicol Spinola and the cast’s excellent coordination that the story never grows muddied by the many transitions between people and places.
Jareth Li’s lighting design also deftly directs the eye and keeps pace with tonal shifts. Spotlights create moments of privacy between characters, even as the full ensemble remains onstage throughout the show. It’s impressive how the stage goes from holding a rowdy crowd one moment and an intimate exchange the next, such as the tender conversations between Beulah (Darlene Spencer) and Hannah (Divine Brown), who awaits news of her firefighter son.
With an intermissionless runtime of 100 minutes, Come From Away’s pacing is tight and engaging. The live band underlies the action beautifully, building a thrumming tension under early scenes that sets high stakes from the start. While the show tackles heavy topics, many moments bring levity. The ability to find humour amidst fear feels very human, so sequences like when the trapped passengers crack open complimentary airline booze in “28 Hours” are both hilarious and authentic.
Another highlight comes when Gander locals take the passengers to get ‘screeched in,’ participating in a ceremony to become Newfoundlanders. The transition to the local bar infuses the room with energy so infectious that the opening night audience was soon clapping along. This joy gives way to “Me and the Sky,” a powerful anthem detailing Beverley’s (Cailin Stadnyk) journey of becoming the first female captain for American Airlines.
Stadnyk’s song is a standout, both for her captivating delivery and how rare its solo focus is. Come From Away is a collage of humanity, a large story made up of dozens of tiny ones. By the end, when the chairs finally reconfigured into a plane carrying passengers away from Gander, I didn’t have the sense that I was seeing rows of strangers. Instead, I saw a collection of people with individual stories bonded by an experience that left them undeniably changed.
Eleven years after its premiere and nearly twenty-five after the events it is based on, Come From Away’s message feels as necessary as ever. Its vision of goodness comes from quiet connection and grounded support, rather than requiring that we have all the right answers or resources to help someone. It shows that small kindnesses, whether telling a terrible joke or inviting someone for tea, can be world-changing.
Well-staged, powerfully performed, and resiliently heartwarming, Come From Away is a season finale that lands true at the Grand Theatre.
