“Come from Away" at the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse -- September 10 through November 1.
Wednesday, September 10, through Saturday, November 1
Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse, 1828 Third Avenue, Rock Island 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 makes its debut at Rock Island's Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse with its September 10 through November 1 run, this deeply moving 2017 entertainment also 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.
Directing Come from Away is longtime Circa '21 veteran M. Seth Reines, whose most recent productions for the theatre have included Clue: The Musical, Kinky Boots, and Singin' in the Rain. Area favorite Ron May serves as music director, with former Bootlegger and frequent mainstage performer Andrea Moore as choreographer, and additional members of Reines creative team include: production manager Jeremy Littlejohn; stage manager and props designer Kendall McKasson; technical director Richard Baker; set designer and scenic artist Becky Meissen; costume designer Brady Robert Jensen; sound designer Dylan Dutro; assistant stage manager and deck caption; and executive producer Dennis Hitchcock.
Reines' cast of 12, meanwhile, all of whom enact numerous roles, boasts the talents of: Bobby Becher; Hanna Marie Felver; Sarah Hayes; Gregory Naman; Sydney Richardson; Tristan Tapscott; Renée Elizabeth Turner; Stephen Charles Turner; Kimberly Vanderginst; Shelley Walljasper; Tom Walljasper; and Tariq Woods.
In addition to its 7:30 p.m. public previews on September 10 and 11, Come from Away runs in Rock Island from July 11 through September 6, with performances on Fridays, Saturdays, and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.; Sundays at 5:30 p.m.; and Wednesday afternoons at 1:15 p.m. All shows will be preceded by meals and pre-show entertainment by the theatre's performing wait staff of Circa '21 Bootleggers, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)786-7733 extension 2 and visiting Circa21.com.
