What you’ll discover, when you befriend the Hawaii premiere of the Tony-winning “Come From Away” at Diamond Head Theatre, is the tsunami of niceness, humankind, and compassion that resonates from start to finish.
This musical – with Canadian origins — won’t bowl you over with melodies you can hum as you exit the theater. (Just announced: two extended performances, at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 3 and 3 p.m. Oct. 4).
However, you’ll likely be overwhelmed by the giving, the sharing, the caring and the unconditional hospitality of the folks in Gander, Newfoundland, who welcome and host and embrace a bunch of travelers in need. Their flights have been routed to the little Canadian community, at the height of the tragedy and terrorism of the devastation of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, in what history will never forget and still vividly remember the trauma of 9/11.
The show is a creation of Canadians Irene Sankoff and David Hein, who collaborated on the book, music and lyrics, so naturally embraces Canadian, Irish and other nationalities and traditions. Like fish; wait for the scene.
The Ganderian greeters simply were opening their hearts and homes for the “come-from- aways,” the lingo for those “outsiders” stranded because air traffic was halted and airliners had to find airports where the planes could land. In retrospect, 38 carriers transporting nearly 7,000 travelers who were airborne when “it” – the devastation of Sept. 11, 2001 – happened.
In Hawaii, this giving generosity might be termed “the aloha spirit.” Chelsea LeValley, making her DHT debut as director and choreography, has previously mounted “Come From Away,” and her grace, imagination and savvy are on display. She weaves together emotion and motion, creating a touching and emotional lei that reflects the nature of nurturing feelings through this remarkable story of humanity.
Oh, she’s also one of the cast principals—Beverly. And all actors have an “& others” tag in the playbill, meaning they tackle multiple roles.
So the company includes Bob (Jarren Amian) Claude (Howard Bishop), Bonnie (Marisa Noelle Capalbo), Oz (Andrew Erwin), Kevin T. (Isaiah Gundermann Graham), Nick (Kalani Hicks), Hannah (Lelea‘e “Buffy” Kahalepuna-Wong), Beulah (Vanessa Manuel-Mazzullo), Janice (Ainsley Shearer), Kevin J. (Samuel Tafolo), and Diane (Courtney Watabe).
The ensemble members are Adam Allison, Landon Ballesteros, Caitlin Bright, David Hurley, Gina Miyazaki, and Juliette Moody.
Casting was important in this specific outing, where there’s a lot of intersecting moments and movements and overlapping spirts. Trevor Tamashiro, executive director of DHT, tells me that all cast members need to know each other’s roles, in the instance that there are multiple needs to replace an actor.
It’s a tad econfusing for spectators when actors play both airline crews and passengers and visitors and locals, but the operative word here is storytelling. This company is highly versatile; it could easily win ensemble of the year laurels for the constant transformation of roles.
I’m not privy to the kiss-the-cod tradition that welcome newcomers as honorary locals. It adds humor to the Twin Tower loss and the fish is kissed with a shot of traditional Screech rum.
I recall the minimalist staging – tables and chairs in the midst of a grove of faux trees – in the Broadway original I saw several seasons ago. Here, Brian Sullivan’s clever set design reinterprets this non-intrusive scene with multiple tree trunks – something like 15 of ‘em – towering towards the sky and reaching out into the audience, Wooden planks form a back wall that stretches from stage left to stage right and stage floor to airspace above .
This framework still allows for multiple effects – actors move airplane seats that double as café chairs; there’s ample space for hootenanny vocals, soul-shaking hand-clapping and foot-stomping dancing. Even the orchestra’s in the shadows of the stage setting.
A few things you should know:
- The show runs 100 minutes.
- There is no intermission.
- There are hints of prejudice, with resolution, about Muslims and gays.
- Celine Dion makes two brief aural appearances, via her “Titanic” hit tune, “My Heart Will Go On.” Anticipate the karaoke rendering!
And that’s Show Biz…
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‘Come From Away’
What: A musical by Irene Sankoff ad David Hein
Where: Diamond Head Theatre
When: Regular run, through Sept. 28; isolated seats available; two extended playdates, at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 3 and 3 p.m. Oct. 4
Tickets: $43 to $70; call (808) 733-0274
