The live performance of the Tony-nominated show was filmed in New York for an audience that included Sept. 11 survivors and frontline workers, which only adds to the poignance of a presentation that manages to be uplifting, funny and lump-in-your-throat emotional all at once.
That’s a tribute not only to the production authored by Irene Sankoff and David Hein but also director Christopher Ashley, who in translating the show from stage to film captures the remarkable use of the physical space — with the ensemble cast each playing multiple characters — while putting the cameras in positions that enhance the experience.
The individual tales — of love and loss, bonds strained and friendships forged — are chronicled from a variety of angles, from the logistical challenges to the townsfolk and their heartwarming generosity to the upended lives of those that they refer to as “the plane people,” which has an almost-sci-fi-like ring to it.
Beginning with the opening number “Welcome to the Rock,” the songs represent a masterful mix of styles, most sung by the entire ensemble, who remain on stage at practically all times. The swiveling centerpiece does an enormous amount of heavy lifting, transforming the minimalist set into an airplane interior or the local pub at seemingly a moment’s notice.
In an odd bit of symmetry, “Come From Away” lands a few weeks before the musical that earned the Tony in 2017, “Dear Evan Hansen,” makes its theatrical debut. And it’s no slight to that movie to plainly state that it will be hard-pressed to fly any higher than the residents of Gander and “the plane people” do.
“Come From Away” premieres Sept. 10 on Apple TV+.