A NEWFOUND(LAND) WAY
OF LOOKING AT MUSICAL THEATER

It’s always a joy — and a rarity — to see a musical I’ve witnessed before reemerge as something fresher than the first time I saw it. Such is the case with the astounding production of the popular musical Come from Away at Paramount Theatre in Aurora.

Andrea Prestinario (front) plays Beverly, the first female captain for American Airlines.

It’s a cultural blessing when a show melts away the coldness of our polarized times by presenting a hearth of heart-filled humanity — a show that gives voice to the good in the world amid inconsolable grief.

Gander’s police officer, Oz (Nick Druzbanski), and his fellow Gander residents

In the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, 38 international flights carrying approximately 7,000 passengers and crew were forced to land in Gander, Newfoundland — then a town of just 9,000 residents. This is the true tale of the princely, welcoming Canadians who housed and fed the stranded “plane people” for five days, an act that made headlines when terrorism, death, smoke, and ash were the only things on TV.

Soara-Joye Ross, Sevon Askew and Zak Berger

With book, music, and lyrics by married couple Irene Sankoff and David Hein — Torontonians themselves — Come From Away truly embodies the spirit of Canada’s denizens as I’ve come to know them: generous, authentically kind people with little sense of entitlement. Under director Trent Stork and choreographer Kasey Alfonso’s seamlessly fluid staging, twelve adaptable thespians portray dozens of characters — both homebound and displaced — with the switch of an accent (thanks to dialect coach Susan Gosdick) or a hat (the quick-change costumes are by Izumi Inaba).

Sara Reinecke (standing on chair) plays Janice, a local TV news reporter

Drawn from interviews conducted by Sankoff and Hein, the dialogue feels organic and often very funny — reminiscent at times of The Laramie Project. The authenticity extends beyond the words to the casting itself. Come from Away is that rare musical where diversity isn’t imposed; it’s inherent to the story. After all, the 7,000 passengers who landed in Gander represented more than 100 countries. The result is a stunning ensemble naturally varied in age, body type, and race — a welcome sight in an era of revivals that retrofit diversity for optics rather than truth.

(seated) Sevon Askew, Susie McMonagle, Ron E. Rains
(back) Abby C. Smith, Nick Druzbanski, Russell Konstans, Adam Qutaishat

Among the characters are a novice reporter, a gay couple named Kevin and Kevin, a cynical New Yorker, an animal-rights activist, the brusque Gander mayor, and a tough-minded veteran female pilot. Each role — no matter how brief — feels vividly human.

Sevon Askew, Susie McMonagle, Ron E. Rains

As for the score, forget hummable tunes; there’s really only one traditional song. Even so, the music is by turns melancholic, magnetic, rhythmic, and spirited — often underscoring dialogue with emotional precision. The style blends Broadway, pop, and folk, with a countrified feel rich in Celtic sounds played with élan by an eight-member onstage band led enthusiastically by Music Director Kory Danielson. The terrific orchestrations by August Eriksmoen feature fiddle, tin whistle (Irish flute), accordion, and bodhrán (a handheld Irish drum).

Andrea Prestinario, Zak Berger, Sara Reinecke, Adam Qutaishat,
Soara-Joye Ross, Russell Konstans, Nick Druzbanski, Michelle Duffy,
Sevon Askew, Ron E. Rains, Susie McMonagle, and Abby C. Smith

Dendrochronologists will have a field day with Milo Bue’s set — the least minimal I’ve seen yet for this show, using a turntable on which mismatched chairs represent everything from a plane cabin to a bar. The proscenium is ringed with the cross-section of a giant tree — its circular pattern of growth rings no doubt emblematic of strength within gentleness. On stage right and left, actual water cascades over large mossy rocks, deepening our sense of place.

The cast

As the world becomes more crowded, divided, and ill-mannered, Paramount Theatre’s Come from Away is a lovely reminder of how good it feels to be accepted and embraced. Just holding the door open for someone — or using your damned turn signal — might be the start of the revolution we’re all ultimately seeking: when the human race becomes the humane race.

Cast: Andrea Prestinario, Susie McMonagle, Abby C. Smith, Soara-Joye Ross, Michelle Duffy, Sara Reinecke, Russell Konstans, Ron E. Rains, Zak Berger, Adam Qutaishat, Sevon Askew and Nick Druzbanski.

photos by Brett Beiner

Come from Away
Paramount Theatre, 23 East Galena Boulevard in Aurora
Wed @ 1:30 & 7; Thurs and Fri at 7; Sat at 3 & 7; Sun at 1 & 5:30
ends on October 12, 2025
for tickets (starting at $41), call 630.896.6666 or visit Paramount

for more shows, visit Theatre in Chicago

Abby C. Smith and Soara-Joye Ross (standing on chair)