"Come from Away" at the Adler Theatre -- April 23.
Tuesday, April 23, 7:30 p.m.
Adler Theatre, 136 East Third Street, Davenport IA
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 Quad Cities debut when the show's national tour lands at Davenport's Adler Theatre on April 23, this 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. "The Islanders are distinguished from the Plane People by their use of a Newfoundland dialect, which they point out in “Welcome to the 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.
After enjoying record-breaking runs at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, California, and the Seattle Repertory Theatre in 2015, as well as at the Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., and the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto in 2016, Come from Away opened on Broadway at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on March 12, 2017 and became a critical and box-office success. A live recording of the production was released on September 10, 2021, on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the attacks, while the Broadway production closed on October 2 after playing 25 previews and 1,669 regular performances.
Come from Away brings its national tour to Davenport on April 23, admission to the 7:30 p.m. musical is $43-93, and tickets are available by calling (800)745-3000 and visiting AdlerTheatre.com.
