PicksInSix Review: Come From Away - Marriott Theatre
Where The River Meets The Sea …
PicksInSix® Gold Review | Ed Tracy
It is startling to realize that twenty-five years have passed since a savage attack on America changed the world as we know it. Ask anyone born before 1996 and they can tell you where they were that fateful day, how shocked and saddened they felt in the weeks and months that followed, and how they grieved for the nearly 3,000 souls lost at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
And on Wednesday evening, a truly stunning production of “Come From Away” opened at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire. Director Jessica Fisch and choreographer Katie Spelman have assembled an unmatched Chicago-based ensemble of stage veterans presenting a tapestry of true stories of compassion and kinship in the days following the 9/11 attacks. This show is electric, inspiring and fits the Marriott Theatre’s in-the-round-stage like a glove.
In the moments following the terrorist attacks, life as we know it came to a full stop. All air traffic within the United States was grounded. International travel was immediately restricted and commercial passenger flights that had sufficient fuel to return to their city of origin in Europe or Asia did so. Those that could not were forced to land wherever they could.
Three locations in Canada—Halifax Stanfield International Airport in Nova Scotia, Vancouver International Airport in British Columbia, and Gander International Airport in Newfoundland— served as a safe haven for thousands of international travelers until operations could be restored.
Gander was a small provincial town of approximately 10,000 when 38 planes landed on September 11, 2001 with nearly 7,000 passengers aboard. As residents quickly mobilized resources, food, medical care and services, all of the passengers were not allowed to deplane for nearly 24 hours. In the days that followed, the “plane people” of all nationalities—known as “come from aways”—received an epic outpouring of support from the Newfoundlanders. Together, over the hours and days that followed, everyone learned the universal language of patience, compassion, and generosity.
We might not know as much of this heartfelt story if the husband and wife team of Irene Sankoff and David Helm had not attended a reunion in 2011 and conducted hundreds of interviews. That source material forms the core of their brilliant 2017 Broadway musical “Come From Away,” distilled into dozens of composite characters of immense warmth and humor, each with a strong sense of resilience and pride. It is a substantial piece for 12 actors in a fast-paced 100-minute format which in the capable hands of Fisch and Spelman is quite literally a work of art.
Marriott’s “Come From Away” is also a bit of a professional homecoming all its own. The key romantic storyline is the heartfelt relationship of Diane and Nick, served up perfectly by Heidi Kettenring and Matt Crowle, both returning to the Chicagoland stage after recent national tours. Sharriese Hamilton is marvelous reprising the role of Hannah that she played recently in the Australian touring production of the show. The extraordinary talent and wide-ranging stage skills—and dialects—of Alex Goodrich, Devin DeSantis and Sarah Bockel are on full display, as are Justin Allbinder, Denise Devlin, Madison Kauffman, Michael Earvin Martin and Jonathan Shaboo. Lexie Dorset Sharp shines in the role of Captain Beverley Bass, the first female commercial pilot.
The story develops organically on Scott Penner’s scenic design that incorporates a stage revolve, tables and industrial stair units that are all integrated seamlessly in the flow of the piece. From the rousing “Welcome To The Rock,”“38 Planes,”“Screech In,” and “On the Edge,” to the more contemplative “Stop the World,”“Prayer,” and “Me and the Sky,” this is musical emotion in motion under Music Director Ryan T. Nelson. Celia Villacres conducts nine musicians through a score that features nearly twenty instruments nested squarely in traditional themes and melodies.
“Come From Away” serves as a vivid reminder that even in the grip of an international tragedy, ordinary people from all walks of life are capable of acts of kindness and generosity well beyond our imagination. It also speaks to our own capacity to overcome adversity for the new life that awaits us and assurance that the newfound relationships forged during difficult times will give us comfort and hope for the future.
PHOTO|Justin Barbin
Marriott Theatre
presents
Come From Away
Ten Marriott Drive
Lincolnshire, IL
through October 18, 2026
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