By Lynda Lacayo
They came from away; the pilots, passengers and crew of 38 international flights when the tragedy of 9/11 forced them to land in the small Canadian towns of Gander and Labrador, Newfoundland. “Come From Away” is the story, set to music of camaraderie and love being born out of terrifying circumstances. Orange County audiences will be welcomed to The Rock (Newfoundland) when “Come From Away” lands at the Segerstrom Center For the Arts, February 5 – 17, 2019.
From the opening number “Welcome to the Rock” audiences will realize that they are experiencing an exceptional theatrical experience. The writers Irene Sankoff and David Hein pitched the idea of a 9/11 musical about the 5 days following the disastrous event to the Canadian Government and received a Grant to write about Ganders response to the arrival of 7000 strangers. “Come From Away” is the longest running Canadian Musical in Broadway History. It received seven Tony Award nods, winning Best Director for Christopher Ashley. The cast of twelve is now on the road in, what is truly distinctive about this show, an authentic ensemble piece.
Among the versatile ensemble is Julie Johnson, who like the entire cast takes on multiple roles become, well, there’s 7000 tales to tell. This show is a musical so naturally the characters sing and dance. Theater aficionados have praised these talented players, labeling them a ‘triple threat.’ Asked if she considered herself a ‘triple threat’ Johnson replied, “Let’s put it this way, I’m a singer and actor. Every now and then I threaten to dance.”
Joking aside, Johnson says “We have a wonderful chorographer, Kelly DeVine, who designed the Celtic, influenced dance moves to reflect Newfoundland’s cultural heritage. There’s a little Irish jig to the arrangements. The dance is also crafted on the individual characters because movement is as much a part of the story telling as word and song dialogue.”
As for being in an ensemble piece, Johnson says “I love singing and working in an ensemble like this. Everyone in this show is capable of being that star who delivers the big 11 O’clock number. Any of these actors has that kind of capability as they sing beautiful music in harmony. This musical is created using every word, every movement to follow the emotion of the stories.”
After seeing the show, Johnson says “I remember thinking it doesn’t matter where or how, I just want to be a part of this musical because it has such a strong message about the beauty and the caring and the love that came out of such a horrific tragedy on November 11, 2001. The travelers were refugees needing solace, food, just about everything when they landed on foreign soil. They were greeted by the kindest of townsfolk who, without a personal agenda, provided for their comfort and wellbeing. The residents of Gander didn’t believe that their actions were extraordinary but they were! And I wanted to tell that story because it’s so powerful and so rooted in human kindness.”
All the musical’s characters are based on real people. When the book writers, Sankoff and Hein learned that many of the plane people would be returning to Gander for a 10th anniversary commemorative event, they not only attended the ceremony but remained for a month gathering stories and observing passengers and townspeople interacting. Hein says “Every person had a million stories about faith, about love, about food, about overcoming religious or racial or regional differences.”
Sankoff continued “We composited some characters and amalgamated some storylines to get to the essence of what happened. We took some license to make it more theatrical. But anything that happens in the show really happened.”
Johnson’s role is a fusion of two real women who spearheaded preparation of the food, clothing and bedding drive needed to accommodate the plane people. She says of her character “The writers interviewed Beulah Cooper and Diane Davis and compiled their histories into one narrative that became Beulah’s story. In the musical she’s named Beulah Davis because she represents both women. In the show Beulah is principal of Gander Academy, a local elementary school that housed hundreds of stranded travelers and provided them with clothing and toiletries. Beulah also embodies the women of Gander who took charge and didn’t let anything faze them when those planes landed in their backyard. They came in cars, with their kids, bringing toilet paper, baked beans, sandwiches and whatever was needed because the luggage wasn’t allowed off the planes. It’s just an unbelievable story about something that actually happened.”
Of playing multiple roles, Johnson says “we, the cast represent a lot of people. I have about five small roles. Of course, Beulah is my main character, but there are a couple of little moments where I’ll put on a scarf or pop out to say something as someone else. The show is so beautifully designed that audiences never seen to be confused about who is who or what is happening. It’s just a fun and emotional excursion for audiences.”
Changing characters with just a hat or accent is one thing but this cast and crew’s sleight of hand rolls over onto the set where they make magic using just a few props. Johnson describes it as “taking place on a single set with 12 chairs, three tables, and very few costume pieces, a sweater, a scarf, a hat to signify a character change. There’s also this amazing seven piece band playing Irish Folk music and intertwining themselves into several community scenes.”
The props or lack thereof, isn’t the point of this uplifting musical because as Johnson says “the people are the heart and soul of this story. It’s not about elaborate set and extravagant costumes. Instead, audiences are taken on a journey with little but their imaginations. And its message is quite clearly be kind to others, don’t fear strangers or as the Newfoundlanders would say “just help others because you might need help someday.”
Take off to “Come From Away at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, February 5 – 17, 2019. For tickets and information: Online, SCFTA.org; The Box Office, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa; Phone, 714-556-2787. Hours are 10 a.m. -6 p.m. daily.