“Come from Away" at the Black Box Theatre -- August 28 through September 12.
Friday, August 28, through Saturday, September 12
The Black Box Theatre, 1623 Fifth Avenue, Moline IL
Lauded by the New York Times as a "big bearhug of a musical" in which "even the most stalwart cynics may have trouble staying dry-eyed," the Tony Award-winning Come from Away enjoys an August 28 through September 12 run at Moline's Black Box Theatre. This deeply moving entertainment is being presented in honor of the 25th anniversary of 9/11, and was hailed by Broadway World as "inspiring, funny, and kick-ass beautiful.”
A seven-time Tony nominee that won for Christopher Ashley's direction, Come from Away chronicles the real-life experiences of the people of Gander, Newfoundland, and the almost 7,000 airline passengers who were forced to land there when U.S. air space was closed on September 11, 2001. Twelve actors tell the story of both the Islanders and what become known as the Plane People, revealing the fear and uncertainty that came with the terrorist attacks – as well as the profound generosity and compassion of strangers. While some characters and stories are an amalgamation of several people and experiences, others are grounded in real-life individuals, such as Captain Beverly Bass, the first female captain for American Airlines; Kevin Tuerff and Kevin Jung; a couple from Los Angeles; and Nick and Diane, who first met in Gander and went on to fall in love.
With its book, music, and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, the Come From Away score blends both traditional musical theatre styles (“Me and the Sky,” “Stop the World”) as well as traditional Newfoundland orchestrations (“Heave Away,” “Screech In”); as stated in Entertainment Weekly, "In 100 heartwarming minutes, the show sets the best aspects of human nature to infectious Celtic folk and Broadway rock" Along with acting out the events of the four days, the show's characters step out from the story to narrate the events, and the staging is intentionally minimalist, making innovative use of only a few tables and 12 chairs to represent airplanes, buses, and various locations within Gander.
Serving as Come from Away's director and designer is the Black Box Theatre's co-founder and artistic director Lora Adams, whose recent presentations for her venue have included Grandma Gatewood Took a Walk, The Half-Life of Marie Curie, and All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914. Says Adams, "“I first saw Come from Away in London, and ever since, I have wanted to put it on the Black Box stage. As the 25th anniversary [of 9/11] approached, I just felt we were the right venue at the right time to honor those we lost and to celebrate the gift of human goodness in the worst of times,”
With the show's music direction by Amy Trimble, choreography by Madeleine Rhode and lighting design by Reader theatre reviewer Alexander Richardson, Come from Away's cast is composed of 16 area talents who each take on multiple roles: Abby Bastian; Krystle Gascoigne; Noah Hill; Paul Holland; Becca Johnson; Shana Kulhavy; Doug Kutzli; Thayne Lamb; Karen LeFebvre; Kirsten Myers; Morris Nunn; Tommy Ratkiewicz; Emily Schwartz; Abigail Trabue; and Joe Urbanitis.
Come from Away will be staged in Moline from August 28 through September 12, with performances Fridays, Saturdays, and Thursday, September 10 at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Admission is $25, and more information and tickets are available by calling (563)284-2350 and visiting TheBlackBoxTheatre.com.
