Come From Away

Come From Away is the second big musical to come to Broadway this season after a successful run in DC. This unique new show is written by Irene Sankoff and David Hein. This is not the first show to explore facets of 9/11, but it's certainly a fresh take. The creative team interviewed residents of Gander, Newfoundland and the people who were temporarily stranded there during the terrorist attacks.

This musical is much more uptempo and hopeful than you would expect. It certainly references the 9/11 attacks and who the passengers felt when they could not find their loved ones, but it focuses more on the humanity of the Gander residents. We learn that Gander is a town of around 7,000 which is ironic because they took in nearly 7,000 displaced people during the week of the attacks. The folksy, small town attitude of Gander is reflected in the music. The score is energetic and homey with a few more pensive ballads mixed in, though you won't leave humming any particular tune. The songs really run together, not because they aren't memorable, but because the pace of the show is so rapid and is directed in such a way that the action is nonstop with seamless transitions. Jenn Colella's "Me and the Sky" is a highlight as Beverly sings about her struggle to become one of the first successful female pilots. There is a lyric where she, reflecting on the terrorist attacks, says that the thing she loved most in the world was used as a bomb. It will darn near break your heart. This cast features Broadway veterans Chad Kimball and Kendra Kassebaum, though it is truly an ensemble piece with no leads in the traditional sense.

Christopher Ashley's direction and Kelly Devine's choreography are beautiful in their simplicity. Did they borrow the chairs from The Color Purple? The actors rarely leave the stage unless it is to grab a new shirt or take off a hat. The performers and chairs are the set, making everything from an airplane to a bar. This choice creates an often frantic and chaotic scene on stage that mimics what the Gander locals felt like when the size of their town doubled for those five days. I never once felt that I was watching a scene, but rather a continuous stream of action and emotion. The kindness of the people of Gander is palpable, as is the gratitude of the come from aways. I was emotional through the entire show and choked up several times when I remember that I wasn't just watching a performance, but a real story of the goodness that can emerge in horrifying situations.

I couldn't help but shed a tear when I thought about the people from my own small hometown. I know they would have reacted in exact same way that Gander did: cooking, gathering supplies, and hugging nonstop. I think people from small towns will appreciate this show a little more than city folk. We know our neighbors, we say hello to people in the grocery store, and we all know people like Annette, Bob, and Beulah. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be attending opening night, and if it's good enough for him, it's good enough for me. We certainly owe a debt of gratitude to our neighbors up north for their role in helping America through that most horrific time of grieving. 

IF/THEN: An Ordinary Story About Ordinary People

People, we have a new turntable on Broadway, and no, I'm not talking about the revival of Les Miserables. Tom Kitt & Brian Yorkey's new musical IF/THEN opens tonight on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. This is a modern musical about everyday people doing everyday things. Elizabeth (Idina Menzel) is a recently divorced almost-forty Urban Planner who has recently returned to Manhattan. Urban Planning, how modern? She is faced with a series of choices, both personally and professionally, that will affect her life drastically. Pretty ordinary, right? None of this screams, "let's make a musical," right? I've always loved the old saying "the characters sing when they can't speak anymore," but I rarely felt that these characters were pushed to the emotionally brink, at least not enough to merit a song. The only thing really intriguing about the plot is the overlapping exploration of Elizabeth's multiple lives. The audience gets to watch both sides of her choices play out, which is fantastic in theory, but really makes for a confusing plot. If you're a fan of the show LOST, think of those flashes-sideways and you'll have an idea of what is going on here.

The opening scene, set in Madison Square Park, is reminiscent of Sunday in the Park With George as the actors seem to spring out of the set. The opening number speaks repeatedly about choices, and though it is didactic and basically hits you over the head with the themes of the show, at least it let's the audience know what we will be seeing. It is very Comedy Tonight in that way, which is no surprise since Tom Kitt has mentioned more than once that he is a Sondheim disciple. 

Elizabeth (Idina Menzel) faces an endless series of choices in the show, beginning with the decision to go by 'Liz' or "Beth". She carries this show on her back and vocally, she is stunning as always. Her vocal power hasn't regressed at all in the ten years since she last Defied Gravity. The highlight is certainly the 11 o'clock number where she questions why she did what she did before finding contentment in the finale. I didn't find the character particularly interesting, but she does well with what she is given. You can see how tortured she is when her life doesn't go the way she planned, and she's way too proud to ever ask for help from friends, even though she is always a rock for them.

Kate (LaChanze) is the standout of the show. Her performance is what the "Best Featured Actress" TONY was made for, a bright light in an average production. She delivers the one liners perfectly with snap, and sometimes with bite. Her energy is absolutely palpable, even from the rear mezzanine where I so humbly sat. Her confidence and strength play perfectly against Elizabeth's confusion and uncertainty.

In the show that is a not-so-subtle love letter to RENT, it's fitting that Anthony Rapp plays Lucas like he played Mark. Lucas is all "power to the people" and sexual confusion, which is both annoying and frustrating. It just seems so been there, done that. In the past, and in one of the many alternating presents, Lucas and Elizabeth had/have a romantic relationship. Maureen and Mark anyone? Do we see it yet?

Ultimately, Michael Greif's production begs us to ask ourselves "what happens to the other versions of ourselves when we make different choices?" It certainly makes you think about your own life choices, and for that, we should applaud this production. Cut the plane crash, the bisexual bestie from 1994, and the shmaltzy melodrama and we could have something here, but as of now, it's nothing all that special. 

Reply For Your Chance To Win A Pair Of Tickets To LUCKY GUY Off-Broadway

LUCKY GUY tells the tale of an all-American singing cowboy and a cast of hilarious characters in Nashville, all chasing the same dream: a solid gold hit record. Full of down-home dreamers and low-down schemers, including the Queen of Country Music, who lives in a 28-room trailer, and a fast-talking wheeler dealer who sells used cars of the stars, LUCKY GUY has laughs, heart and a score that salutes Country, Broadway, Vaudeville, Bluegrass, Pop and even Hawaiian music.

This fun and funny new musical stars Emmy® Award-winner Leslie Jordan (Will & Grace, My Trip Down the Pink Carpet), Varla Jean Merman (aka Jeffery Roberson) (Chicago, Ugly Betty), Kyle Dean Massey (Next To Normal, Wicked), Jenn Colella (Urban Cowboy, High Fidelity), Jim Newman (Curtains, Steel Pier) and Savannah Wise (Rock of Ages, Ragtime).

Come on down to Music City, USA, where this one-in-a-million, needle-in-a-haystack new musical comedy will get your toes tapping and your heart singing! Previews begin April 28, 2011 at The Little Shubert Theatre, 422 W. 42nd Street.

www.LuckyGuyTheMusical.com

Answer the following trivia question in the 'comments' section of this blog post and you are automatically entered to win a free pair of tickets! Be sure to leave your email address so I can contact the winner. The contest will end Friday April 15th at 4pm.

Question: Actor Leslie Jordan is well known for his supporting role on Will & Grace. Which character did he play?